The following data is from a range of different studies from different years and geographical locations. Different research methods have been used therefore, meaningful comparisons cannot be made between the different groups.
General population
According to the WA Health and Wellbeing Surveillance System, 10% of adults in Western Australia were daily or occasional smokers in 2021.
People living with a mental illness
Smoking rates are much higher in people experiencing mental illness compared to the general population. People experiencing mental illness tend to smoke more cigarettes per day, have higher levels of nicotine dependence, report lower self-efficacy and experience a disproportionate health and financial burden from smoking.
Tobacco smoke can even mask the effects of some medications. This means that people experiencing mental illness often need to take high dosages of these medications to increase their effectiveness.
There is a common belief that smoking is a way to relieve or manage depression, anxiety and/or stress. However, research has shown that within six weeks of quitting, mental health, mood, and quality of life improves. Visit smoking and mental health for more information or check out the different ways to quit to get started.
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Although the presence of a mental illness can make quit attempts more challenging, people experiencing mental illness can kick the habit with tailored support. Integrating cessation support including stop smoking medications (such as nicotine replacement therapy) and referral to Quitline into routine health care can significantly increase an individual’s likelihood of successfully quitting. Click through to find out more about evidence-based cessation.
LGBTQI+ people
Unfortunately, there is very limited data on the health of LGBTQI+ people due to a lack of population surveys with diverse sex, gender and sexual orientation questions.
According to the Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia report (2016), approximately 18% of people identifying as homosexual or bisexual reported smoking daily.
Common reasons LGBTQI+ people list for taking up smoking include the additional and unique stresses they may be forced to deal with, such as social stigma, discrimination, lack of acceptance by loved ones, and physical and non-physical abuse. LGBTQI+ people also experience higher rates of mental illness than the national average.
READ: Why Are Smoking Rates Higher in the LGBTQI+ Community.
People in regional WA
People in low socioeconomic areas
People living in the lowest socioeconomic areas in Australia are more likely to smoke (19%) compared to people living in the highest socioeconomic areas (10.4%). People in lower socioeconomic groups also report smoking a greater number of cigarettes per day.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
According to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, (2018-19), around 37% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 15 years and over smoked daily, 37% never smoked and 22% were ex-smokers..
Tobacco use contributes greatly to the 10 year life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people have worse health outcomes and are almost twice as likely to develop lung cancer than non-Aboriginal people. Around half of all deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 45 and above is caused by smoking, amounting to more than 10000 preventable premature deaths between 2009 and 2019.
To address this burden of tobacco, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) program works alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia to raise awareness of the harms of smoking, vaping and second-hand smoke. Evaluation of the program has highlighted a decline in smoking and an increase in positive smoke-free attitudes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For support to quit, call Quitline 13 7848 and ask to speak to an Aboriginal Quitline Counsellor or click through to find out about resources from other organisations.
READ: ‘Is Smoking Tobacco Part of Our Culture?’
*Within Western Australia, the term Aboriginal people is used in preference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in recognition that Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of Western Australia. No disrespect is intended to Torres Strait Islander colleagues and community.
People in prison
In 2018 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found roughly 75% of people in prison were current smokers, with 1 in 14 taking up smoking while incarcerated. Smoking is common in populations that are over-represented in prisons such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people experiencing homelessness, people experiencing mental illness, people experiencing alcohol and other drug dependence and those living in low socioeconomic areas.
In 2012, up to 46% of current smokers entering prison had a desire to quit and as many as 35% of discharges attempted to quit while in prison. Find out more about our work in this space in the Community Services section.
People experiencing homelessness
Approximately 84% of people experiencing homelessness are smokers, with many reporting that they smoke to relieve symptoms of mental illness, boredom and stress. People experiencing homelessness are more likely to smoke discarded cigarette butts or to share cigarettes in order to save money. This increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases, along with the other known risks associated with smoking. Despite being motivated to quit smoking the success rates remain low due to the many unique social and environmental barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness. Find out more about our work in this space in the Community Services section.
People affected by alcohol and other drug use
Smoking rates among people who are experiencing alcohol and other drug dependence is much higher than the general population. Tobacco was the most commonly used drug (71%) by those experiencing injecting drug dependence in 2022.
People experiencing alcohol and other drug dependence are more likely to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease than from their alcohol and drug use.
People experiencing alcohol and other drug dependence are motivated to quit smoking, but they are not always offered the help to do so. Misconceptions held by staff who work with people experiencing alcohol and other drug dependence about their clients' ability to deal with stress and their fears of undermining recovery from other drugs can be barriers to providing smoking cessation support. However, to increase success rates overall, people should be treated for all drug dependencies concurrently. Click through to find out more about evidence-based cessation.
MSH works with community, health and corrective services to reach groups of people experiencing higher smoking rates. By providing non-judgemental, comprehensive and tailored support in environments that people are already accessing and trust, we can reduce the impact that tobacco use has on these priority populations.
Click here to find out more about how your community, health or corrective service can become involved in the Tackling Tobacco Program.