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http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/lookup/4704.0Chapter7552010

4704.0 - The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,

2010Latest ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 28/05/2010

ADULT HEALTH: SMOKING

This article is part of a comprehensive series released asThe Health and Welfare of Australia's

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

KEY MESSAGES

Between 2002 and 2008, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander current daily smokers

aged 15 years and over fell from 49% to 45%, representing the first significant decline in smoking rates

since 1994. However, Indigenous people remained twice as likely as non-Indigenous people to be

current daily smokers.

Although the prevalence of smoking in the Australian population has been declining since the 1950s,

tobacco smoking remains the single most preventable cause of ill health and death, contributing to

more drug-related hospitalisations and deaths than alcohol and illicit drug use combined (Endnote 1). It

is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, cancer and a variety

of other diseases and conditions.

This topic presents results from the2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey

(NATSISS) which provides the most recent data on tobacco smoking. Results are presented for:

current daily smokers passive smoking.

CURRENT DAILY SMOKERS

In 2008, 45% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over werecurrent daily

smokers, 20% were ex-smokers, and one-third (33%) had never smoked. Between 2002 and 2008, the

proportion of current daily smokers decreased from 49% to 45% representing the first statistically

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significant decline in smoking rates within the Indigenous population since the ABS Indigenous

Household Survey Program began in 1994.

Similar proportions of Indigenous males (46%) and females (43%) were current daily smokers in 2008.

While rates of smoking were lowest among people aged 55 years and over (32%), they had the highest

rate of ex-smokers of any age group (35%). Overall, Indigenous people living inremoteareas were more

likely to be current daily smokers than those living innon-remoteareas (49% compared with 43%).

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of current daily smokers had tried to quit or reduce their smoking in the 12

months prior to interview. The most common reasons for trying to quit/reduce smoking were general

health, cost and encouragement from family and friends.

Smoking was associated with poorer health outcomes for Indigenous people in 2008. Current daily

smokers reported lower rates of excellent/very good health (38%) and higher rates of fair/poor health

(26%) than those who had never smoked (53% and 16% respectively). Likewise, current daily smokers

were more likely to have experienced high/very high levels ofpsychological distressin the last month

compared with people who had never smoked (37% compared with 23%).

Smokers also reported higher rates of alcohol and substance misuse. Those who smoked on a daily basis

were more likely than those who had never smoked to drink atchronic risky/high risk levels (24%

compared with 8%) and to have engaged inbinge drinkingin the two weeks prior to interview (49%

compared with 23%). Current daily smokers were also more likely than people who had never smoked

to have usedillicit substancesin the previous 12 months (31% compared with 9%). This was particularly

the case for marijuana use, where around one-quarter (26%) of current daily smokers aged 15 years and

over had used marijuana in the last 12 months compared with 9% of ex-smokers and 5% of those who

had never smoked.

The most recent information on smoking for non-Indigenous adults is available from the 200708

National Health Survey. For both men and women, smoking was more prevalent among Indigenous

people than non-Indigenous people in every age group (graph 4.1 and 4.2). After adjusting for

differences in age structure between the two populations, Indigenous people aged 15 years and over

were twice as likely as non-Indigenous people to be current daily smokers. This gap has remained

unchanged since 2002.

CURRENT DAILY SMOKERS, by Indigenous status2008

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Source: 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 200708 National Health Survey

These estimates are also available for download in theAdult Health datacube.

Back to top

PASSIVE SMOKING

Environmental tobacco smoke is a major source of indoor air pollution. It exposes non-smokers to most

of the same toxins and chemicals that smokers inhale directly with cigarettes. For adults, exposure to

secondhand smoke is strongly linked toheart disease, lung cancer and respiratory conditions. Non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing

lung cancer by 30 per cent(Endnote 2).

In 2008, 68% of Indigenous people aged 15 years and over were living in a household with a current

daily smoker and 26% were living in a household where someone usually smoked inside. While people in

remote areas were more likely to be living with a current daily smoker (76% compared 65% in non-

remote areas), the proportion of people exposed to tobacco smoke inside their home was similar (28%

in remote compared with 25% in non-remote). Among non-smokers (i.e. those who were ex-smokers or

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who had never smoked), 41% lived in a household with a current daily smoker and 15% lived with a

person who smoked inside.

Also seechildren and passive smokingfor information on Indigenous children living in households where

someone usually smokes inside.

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ENDNOTES

1. AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2008, 'Australias Health 2008', cat. no. AUS 99,

AIHW, Canberra, .

2. Department of Health and Ageing,'The dangers of passive smoking: fact sheet',.

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