1.5 Prevalence of smoking—middle-aged and older 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

As noted in the preceding section, people under 40 are more likely to smoke than those in older age groups. Reflecting smoking patterns from earlier decades, older men are more likely to have smoked at some time in their lives than younger men, and older women are less likely ever to have smoked than younger women. Decreasing smoking rates among the older population reflect increased quitting activity, older age groups of both sexes having the highest quit proportions (defined as the proportion of ever smokers who have stopped smoking).28 Tobacco-caused death and illness occurring among smokers in older age groups are also significant factors in declining smoking rates seen in the older population, with the greatest proportion of burden of disease due to smoking affecting those aged between 55–75.42

Table 1.4 and Figure 1.3 show that smoking rates have declined in smokers aged 40 and over since the early 1980s. Rates stabilised during the early to mid-1990s, before returning to a pattern of decline. The decline in smoking prevalence between 1998 and 2004 was statistically significant among 40–59-year-olds but not in those aged over 60. Although smoking rates did not change between 2001 and 2004 for either age group, there was a significant decline in smoking prevalence among women and all people aged 40–59 years between 2004 and 2007.

The 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey provides more detailed information on smoking prevalence in older Australians. In 2004, 11% of people aged between 60–69, 7% of people aged between 70–79, and 3% of people aged 80 or more smoked on a daily basis.43