National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report 2013 21

Age comparisons over timeWhile there has been a steady decline in daily smoking over the past 12 years, there is a large variation

in the decline by age. People aged 18–49 were far less likely to smoke daily than they were 12 years ago;

however, the decline is less pronounced for older people with little change in daily smoking seen among

people aged 60 or older. Figure 3.3 shows that:

people aged 70 or older smoking daily, however this increase in daily smoking was not statistically signi!cant

and the trend for those aged 12–17 should be interpreted with caution

among whom there was a signi!cant increase between 2010 and 2013 (from 31% to 34%; see Online

Table 3.4). This increase corresponds with the fall in daily smokers for this age group.

A range of factors continue to drive the decline in daily smoking including an ageing cohort of older

daily smokers, a rise in younger people never taking up smoking and declines in the proportion of young

people smoking daily.

Source: Online Table 3.4.

Note: The 2001 survey did not include those aged 12–13; the 2001 total for people aged 12 or older is for people aged 14 or older.

Figure 3.3: Daily smokers, people aged 12 or older, by age, 2001 to 2013 (per cent)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

18+12+ 70+60–6950–5940–4930–3925–2918–2412–17

Per cent

Age group (years)

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013