Australia’s public health peak body has applauded efforts which have caused another drop in daily smoking rates to 5.6 percent of the population in 2025, down from 8.3% in 2022-23.
“There’s extremely positive news in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s latest National Drugs Household Survey 2025,” Public Health Association of Australia President, Professor Caroline Miller, said.
“This survey is Australia’s long standing “gold standard” in measuring smoking rates.
“Daily smoking rates have declined over the past 25 years from nearly 20 percent of people over 14 (19.5%) or around 3 million people in 2001, to around 1.3 million people (5.6%) today, and that’s worth celebrating.
“We need to continue our efforts to help people quit, and to stop young people from starting a deadly habit that will kill two in three people and diminish their quality of life.”
Professor Miller, who is Deputy Director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, has more than three decades’ experience in tobacco control, especially in her home state of South Australia, says the AIHW’s evidence base is solid.
“The national household survey is the best in the business, because it’s used the same questions for decades, and is extensive with a sample size of more than 17,000 people.
“We in the public health community want today wish to say well done to everyone who has quit smoking, and to teenagers who’ve not started it. It’s not easy to quit. The tobacco industry has created numerous delivery systems for nicotine – one of the most addictive substances around – so stopping smoking is an outstanding achievement.
“We also want to thank the many groups of people involved in tobacco cessation efforts across the continent. From workers in the Tackling Indigenous Smoking programs, to counsellors to those staffing the Quit line, to policymakers in our governments, and ministers who’ve stood strong against relentless attacks, you all have over many years helped to achieve this drop in daily smoking rates. Thank you.”
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