New NSW Population Health Survey data has highlighted a continued decline in adult smoking rates – down from 16.4 per cent in 2013 to 15.6 per cent in 2014.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said today – World No Tobacco Day – is a time to reflect on how attitudes towards smoking have changed over the last decade and what has been achieved in tobacco control in NSW.

From 2002 to 2014, there was a steady decrease in the proportion of people smoking daily – from 17.1 per cent to 11.5 per cent. In the same period, the proportion of people who had never smoked increased by 8.8 per cent.

“In 2002, adult smoking rates were 22.5 per cent. Thanks to the comprehensive
tobacco control program in NSW, including tobacco retailing regulation, quit smoking
support and public education campaigns, these rates have steadily declined over the
past decade,” Mrs Skinner said.

“The NSW Government has gone to great lengths to protect people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke by making a number of outdoor places smoke-free since 2013. But it has been the community’s drive and determination to stamp out smoking, especially in our youth, that has driven these results and I congratulate them on their efforts.”

From 6 July 2015, NSW commercial outdoor dining areas will become the latest
smoke-free public spaces.

The NSW community is supporting the plan, with a recent poll showing four out of five people are in favour of the new smoking ban.

World No Tobacco Day, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), is held on 31
May each year to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use.