Health Is Not The Main Reason Aussie Smokers Are Quitting

Record low rates.


Article heading image for Health Is Not The Main Reason Aussie Smokers Are Quitting

The exorbitant cost of cigarettes is the main reason Australian smokers are butting out.

The number who say the price hike motivated them to quit smoking rose from 35.8% to 52% since 2007, according to figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The national rate dropped from 16.6 per cent to 12.2 per cent in the last decade – which also featured five substantial tobacco tax increases.

The government's anti-smoking ads targeting Indigenous Australians – a demographic with a substantially higher rate – also appear to have struck a chord, with that figure dropping by more than 20 per cent since 2010.

Despite the decrease the rate of quitting has slowed, prompting calls from the Cancer Council for the government to invest more money in broader anti-smoking campaigns.

“If governments invest more in campaigns, more people will quit. And more people who report attempting to quit because of price increases are likely to follow through, with the help of powerful reminders of the risks they take by smoking," said CEO, Professor Sanchia Aranda.

27 September 2017




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