TOBACCO SMOKING AMONG ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE

Half of Indigenous adults (50%) reported being a regular tobacco smoker in 2004-05.

One in five Indigenous adults (or 20%) reported being an ex-smoker and 28% reported that they had never smoked. Indigenous adults living in remote areas had slightly higher rates of regular tobacco smoking (52%) than those in non-remote areas (49%).

Over the ten years to 2004-05 the rate of smoking in the Indigenous population remained about the same.

Tobacco smoking rates for men and women
Overall, the rate of smoking is about the same for Indigenous men (51%) and Indigenous women (49%).

Indigenous men living in remote areas were more likely to be regular smokers (58%) than were those in non-remote areas (49%). The pattern for Indigenous women was different, with slightly higher rates of smoking in non-remote areas (50%) than in remote areas (47%).




Tobacco smoking and age
Smoking rates were higher in younger age groups than in older age groups. Indigenous people in the age groups 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 years had the highest smoking rates (both 55%). In contrast, those aged 55 years and over had the lowest rate (30%).

Indigenous men and women smoked at similar rates in all age groups except the 55 years and over group, where rates for women were lower than those for men (26% compared to 35%).