1.4 Prevalence of smoking—young adults

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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

Young adults of both sexes have the highest smoking rates in the community. Table 1.3 compares smoking rates for men and women in three age groups spanning young adulthood to early middle age, between 1980 and 2007.

The prevalence of smoking has declined over the study period for both sexes in all age groups, and over the passage of time, smoking rates have converged across the age groups as well. As among the general population (Table 1.2 above), the trend in decline levelled off during the 1990s in young adults, before falling again in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When data within each age group are combined for men and women, the falls recorded between 2001 and 2004 are statistically significant only for the youngest group (18–24). The fall in smoking prevalence in this age group continued between 2004 and 2007, possibly reflecting the decline in smoking among teenagers since 1999—see Section 1.6. The fall in smoking prevalence between 2004 and 2007 among 30–39-year-olds was statistically significant among males, females and all persons.

Up until 2004, the proportion of adult smokers aged 18–24 has been very similar to the proportion aged 25–29, with both declining at a similar rate since 1980. In 2007 the proportion of 18–24-year-olds smoking dropped sharply and is now lower than the proportion of 25–29-year-olds. Before 1995, significantly more adults in the 18–24-year-age group smoked than those aged between 30 and 39. Between 1995 and 2004 the differential across these age groups was no longer statistically significant. In addition smoking prevalence among 18–24-year-old males was significantly lower than among 30–39-year-old males. Prior to 2007 younger people were consistently more likely to smoke than those over the age of 40. However in 2007 people aged 18–24 were only more likely than those aged over 60 years to be smokers (Figure 1.3). Smoking patterns among the Australian population aged 40 and over are discussed in the following section.

For the most part, young men and women now share similar patterns of smoking. The higher rates of smoking among males in most age groups during the 1980s became less apparent in the 1990s. In 2004 and 2007, the sex difference in smoking behaviour was statistically significant only in the 30–39 age bracket. Independent analysis of NDSHS data for 2001 and 2004 has indicated that the convergence in smoking prevalence between the sexes is due to fewer younger males becoming regular smokers, whereas females have been more likely to take up smoking.41