Tobacco smoke is the leading cause of death and the single most preventable cause of death and ill health in Australia (1) . It is estimated that smoking kills around 15,000 Australians each year (2) .
It is well established, that among other diseases and conditions, smoking is a major risk factor for a range of cancers, including lung cancer which is the most common form of cancer death in Australia (1). Currently, 89% of lung cancers in Australian men and 70% in Australian women can be attributed to smoking (3) .
Trends in smoking prevalence in Australia compare favourably to many other OECD (4) countries, with the current daily smoking rate having decreased from 19.2% in 1998–99 to 15.1% in 2009–10 (1).
Compared to the national average, the ACT has slightly lower rates of smoking with 11% of ACT residents aged 14 years and over being daily smokers (1).
Despite the ACT having a slightly lower rate of smoking than most other Australian States and Territories, the Cancer Council ACT is committed to further reducing the impact of smoking in the ACT community, as well as reducing smoking uptake, particularly amongst young people.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
1- AIHW 2011. 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey report. Drug statistics series no. 25. Cat. no. PHE 145. Canberra: AIHW. Viewed 22 November 2011 http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=32212254712
2- ABS (2009). 2007–08 National health survey: summary of results, Australia. ABS cat. no. 4364.0. Reissue. Canberra: ABS.
3- AIHW & AACR (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & Australasian Association of Cancer Registries) 2004,Cancer in Australia, 2001, AIHW Cat. No. CAN 23, AIHW, Canberra; C
Chao, Thun, Jacobs, Henley, Rodriguez C, Calle. (2000). Cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer mortality in the cancer prevention study II. Journal National Cancer Institute, 92(23), pp 1888-96.
4- OECD: Organisation for economic cooperation and development. An organisation of 30 developed countries, including Australia.