Read time: 4 mins
Based on Who smokes in Australia? Cross-sectional analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics survey data, 2017–19, published February 2024.
Most people who smoke don’t fit common stereotypes that they’re uneducated, unemployed, and suffering from mental illness. A world-first, quantitative national profile of people who smoke highlights that understanding the population in question is critical to effective tobacco control, including campaign messaging, and can also help policymakers better target traditional priority groups.
Read time: 4 mins
Based on Who smokes in Australia? Cross-sectional analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics survey data, 2017–19, published February 2024.
1
Most people who smoke in Australia are employed, educated, in good mental health and identify as non-Indigenous, counter to many common stereotypes.
2
Tobacco control campaigns and other measures based on stereotypes are likely to be less effective than those in which people can recognise themselves and their social norms.
3
Evidence indicates that tobacco smoking is a whole-of-community problem, highlighting the need to balance whole-of-population measures along with those targeting priority populations.
Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for illness and premature death in Australia and a driver of health inequity. The National Preventive Health Strategy has 2030 targets of reducing the prevalence of daily smoking.
While smoking is more common among people living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, ANU research has found that most people who smoke daily are in paid employment, are non-Indigenous, are in good mental health, and have completed Year 12.
The research from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU is the world’s first complete quantitative profile of people who smoke, and relates to the Australian population.
It found that:
Although most people who smoke, in absolute terms, are non-Indigenous, the research confirmed past findings that smoking is more common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than in the non-Indigenous population.
This data can inform decisions to improve tobacco control measures, including government campaigns and quit services. When people see themselves reflected in a campaign highlighting risks, they’re more likely to relate to that risk and be motivated to act.
In contrast, approaches based on stereotypes and stigma reduce self-efficacy and may be less likely lead to action in their intended audiences.
The evidence shows that those who smoke regularly in Australia have much in common with the general population. The study also identifies important priority groups for tobacco control that policymakers can target to reduce smoking in Australia.
“When people see themselves reflected in a campaign highlighting risks and offering support, they are more likely to relate to it and be motivated to act.”
