Has the proportion of tobacco smoking among Australian secondary school students changed over time?
The proportion of Australian secondary school students who smoke tobacco is decreasing. Prevalence of lifetime, past year, past month, and past week tobacco smoking was significantly lower in 2022-23 compared to 2017.
In 2002, 47% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 30% had smoked in the past year, 18% had smoked in the past month, and 14% had smoked in the past week.
In 2005, 35% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 23% had smoked in the past year, 13% had smoked in the past month, and 9% had smoked in the past week.
In 2008, 27% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 18% had smoked in the past year, 10% had smoked in the past month, and 7% had smoked in the past week.
In 2011, 23% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 16% had smoked in the past year, 9% had smoked in the past month, and 7% had smoked in the past week.
In 2014, 19% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 14% had smoked in the past year, 8% had smoked in the past month, and 5% had smoked in the past week.
In 2017, 18% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 13% had smoked in the past year, 8% had smoked in the past month, and 5% had smoked in the past week.
In 2022/23, 14% of students had ever smoked tobacco, 8% had smoked in the past year, 3% had smoked in the past month, and 2% had smoked in the past week.
Please note: caution should be exercised when interpreting the trend between 2017 and 2022/23 due to changes in survey methodology, additional time lag between the 2017 – 2023/23 surveys (due to COVID-19), data collection being spread across two academic school years in 2022/23, and the smaller number of schools and students included in the 2022/23 sample.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2023). ASSAD 2022–2023: Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco and e-cigarettes.
Please note: caution should be exercised when interpreting the trend between 2017 and 2022/23 due to changes in survey methodology, additional time lag between the 2017 – 2023/23 surveys (due to COVID-19), data collection being spread across two academic school years in 2022/23, and the smaller number of schools and students included in the 2022/23 sample.