1 in 10 NSW adults are daily smokers
In 2018, 10.3% of NSW adults were daily smokers. While there has been a long term reduction in smoking, since 2015, daily smoking rates have remained relatively stable. A similar long-term reduction in current (daily or occasional) smoking has also been observed, with 14.8% of adults reporting either daily or occasional smoking in 2018.
Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of disease and premature death in NSW. It contributes to 36% of respiratory diseases, 22% of cancers, 12% of cardiovascular diseases and 3.5% of endocrine disorders.
The impact of others’ smoking includes harmful effects to unborn babies and from exposure to second hand smoke.
See the Tobacco Snapshot under Reports and Strategies below for more information.
The NSW Ministry of Health is committed to:
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Reducing the number of people using tobacco
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Preventing the uptake of smoking, especially by children and young people
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Preventing exposure to second-hand smoke and the harm it causes
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Reducing smoking among Aboriginal people and other priority populations
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Decreasing tobacco related death and disease
Click through the icons under Reports and Strategies and State-wide initiatives below to learn more.
These data are self-reported data on who is and who is not smoking currently and in the past in NSW. It is collected through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing as part of the NSW Population Health Survey. The survey data are adjusted to the actual NSW population so that the statistics represent the percentage of smokers in NSW.
Hospitalisations and death data do not contain information about individuals who are and who are not smoking. However, the burden of hospitalisations and deaths attributed to smoking can be calculated from the proportion of diseased cases caused by smoking in the short- and long-term.