1.11 Prevalence of use of different types of tobacco product

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1.1 A brief history of tobacco smoking in Australia

1.2 Overview of major Australian data sets

1.3 Prevalence of smoking—adults

1.4 Prevalence of smoking—young adults

1.5 Prevalence of smoking—middle-aged and older adults

1.6 Prevalence of smoking—secondary students

1.7 Trends in the prevalence of smoking by socioeconomic status

1.8 Trends in prevalence of smoking by country of birth

1.9 Prevalence of tobacco use among Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders

1.10 Prevalence of smoking in other high risk sub-groups of the population

1.11 Prevalence of use of different types of tobacco product

1.12 Future smoking rates?

1.13 International comparisons of prevalence of smoking

Acknowledgments

References

1.11.1 Manufactured cigarettes, roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes, pipes and cigars

Most tobacco consumed in Australia is in the form of factory-made cigarettes. Data on prevalence of use of different types of tobacco product was collected by the Cancer Council Victoria (formerly the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria) in regular surveys undertaken between 1974 and 1998, and has been reported in the most recent National Drug Strategy Household Surveys. Between 1974 and 1998 a small percentage of male smokers reported using pipes or cigars exclusively (Table 1.12).

The National Drug Strategy Household Surveys have also collected data on type of tobacco smoked (Table 1.13). These findings show that manufactured cigarettes remain by far the most popular choice among smokers, and especially among women.

The NDSHS survey for 2004 found substantial overlap in choice of smoking products among smokers. Although 8% of smokers reported use of cigars and/or pipes, only 1% of smokers used these products exclusively. RYO tobacco was used exclusively by 5% of smokers, and manufactured cigarettes by 70% of smokers. There is some evidence that cigar usage in Australia has increased in the last decade,108 probably due to the greater profile which these products have received over the past decade both here and internationally, but currently this cannot be discerned from national prevalence data.

A large international study on the prevalence and user characteristics of RYO tobacco in Australia and other countries has shown that exclusive RYO smokers are more likely to be male, older in age, to have a lower level of income, and lesser education.109 Prevalence of use of RYO in Australia reported in this study is similar to that reported by the NDSHS (2004).20 About one quarter of Australian smokers surveyed made some use of RYO products, 15% combined use of manufactured cigarettes and RYO tobacco, and 9% reported exclusive use of RYO.109

1.11.2 Unbranded loose tobacco ('chop-chop')

Chop-chop is finely cut, unbranded "black market" tobacco which has been grown, distributed and sold without government intervention or taxation.110 Due to its comparative cheapness, some smokers have adopted it as an alternative to, or in addition to smoking manufactured tobacco.80, 111

Questions about the prevalence of usage of chop-chop have been asked in the most recent National Drug Strategy Household Surveys. Between 2001 and 2004, awareness of chop-chop doubled in the total population aged 14 and over from 19%19 to 38%.20 In 2004, 23% of those who were aware of chop-chop had smoked it at least once, and of those who had ever smoked it, one in five smoked it half the time or more. Taking into account the total population aged 14 and over, 9% of Australians had smoked chop-chop at least once, and about half of one percent (0.4%) of the total population used chop-chop half the time or more. Males were more likely to have come across chop-chop and to have tried it, than females.20 Two small surveys undertaken in New South Wales have shown varying degrees of penetrance of chop-chop in the community.111, 112

Chop-chop is discussed further in Chapter 3, Section 3.27.2 and Chapter 10, Section 10.9.1.

1.11.3 Smokeless tobacco products

Although widely used overseas,113 smokeless tobacco products (those intended for sucking or chewing) are little used in Australia and data concerning the prevalence of their use is sparse. An unpublished analysis of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey from 2004 suggests that approximately half of one percent (0.57%) of the Australian population aged 12 or over had used smokeless tobacco in the 12 months prior to the survey.114

Leaves from naturally occurring nicotine-containing plants were chewed by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders prior to the introduction of conventional tobacco products in the 18th century, first by Indonesian fishermen, and later by European settlers. In some Indigenous communities "bush" tobaccos and manufactured loose or plug tobaccos are still chewed, either alone or in combination, but overall prevalence of use of these substances is extremely low.1, 80, 115-117 Tobacco chewing among the Australian Indigenous population is discussed further in Chapter 8, Section 8.5 .

The import, sales and marketing of smokeless tobacco products in Australia is controlled by federal legislation.118 However a recent survey showing that smokeless tobacco products are readily available from some South Asian shops in Sydney suggests that there is sufficient local demand for these products for importers and shopkeepers to risk breaking the law.119 See Chapter 3, Section 3.33 for further discussion.