Smoke-free WA

Making smoking history

In WA, more of us live, work and relax in smoke-free environments than ever before, but we need to do more to make smoking a thing of the past.

Two out of three long-term smokers are likely to die from their tobacco use. Helping smokers quit will prevent thousands of people from developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases from their own smoking and smoke in the environment.

Are we making progress in WA?

Encouraging young people to avoid smoking is a very high priority and from 1984–2014, weekly smoking rates among 12–17 year-olds in WA fell from 21% to 5%.

Overall smoking rates are also falling. In 2017, just 9% of people aged 16 years and over were daily smokers in WA, down from 17% in 2002. Among Aboriginal people aged 15 years and over (external site) living in WA, the prevalence of daily and occasional smokers between 1994 and 2014–15 declined from 51% to 46%.

Is there room for improvement?

Some groups of people in WA still have much higher smoking rates (external site): Aboriginal people; people in lower socioeconomic groups; prison inmates; people who live outside major cities; gay, lesbian and bisexual people and people from some overseas-born communities.

What are the benefits of quitting and smoke-free environments?

• Health: Quitting smoking at any age results in immediate health benefits
• Economic: Saving money by not buying cigarettes; increasing worker productivity through less sickness
• Environment: Cleaner waterways, paths and parks (no butts); lower risk to humans and wildlife from fires.