Average Australian smokers are young, educated, employed and healthy

A landmark study of Australia’s smoking population has revealed that 2.5 million people smoke daily as it busted some common misconceptions.

Average Australian smokers are young, educated, employed and healthy. Picture: Tim Pascoe

A landmark study of Australia’s smoking population has revealed that 2.5 million people smoke daily, as it busted some common misconceptions.

Research by the Australian National University, the first of its kind, reveals smokers are a wide-ranging group who largely resemble the general population, while the average smoker is aged 25-54, a man, born in Australia, who completed year 12 and is currently employed. He would live in a major city, be in generally good health and would be a low-or-middle income earner.

However, the archetype is far from universal, with about 60 per cent of smokers being men, 65 per cent living in major cities, 92 per cent non-Indigenous and 73 per cent Australian nationals.

Lead researcher and ANU postgraduate medical student Jessica Aw began the study as a university project based on her keen interest in public health.

“When we’re talking about disparities between different population groups in terms of smoking, there’s a lot of research and evidence in that area ... but where the research is lacking is the population-wide understanding,” she said. “I think perhaps the simplicity of such a study has been overlooked.

“We researchers like to focus a lot on statistically rigorous methods, and ... compare groups of people and focus on the disparities.

Data collected by the Australian National University on smoking in Australia.

“Results from previous studies have described associations with smoking such as people who smoke are more likely to be living rurally, unemployed, uneducated, in poor mental health, which can contribute to stigma.

“... Most people who smoke are educated, employed and in good mental health, similar to the total population of Australia.”

The researchers argue that targeted campaigns often reinforce a stigmatised image of the “typical” smoker, and that focusing on a broader population allows people from a range of backgrounds to feel recognised and capable of quitting.

ANU epidemiologist and senior study author Emily Banks urged public health bodies to both target at-risk groups and the wider inclusive population in anti-smoking campaigns.

ANU student Jessica Aw. Picture: Supplied

Professor Emily Bank. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/ANU

“Smoking remains Australia’s leading cause of premature death and disability, so it’s vital that we better understand who smokes and the reasons why they do,” she said.

“We’re asking people to hold on to two things in their head.

“Yes, smoking is more common in people with serious mental health problems, for example, people who are homeless … At the same time, the majority of smokers are not homeless, and the majority of smokers do not have serious mental health problems.

“We’re also more likely to see people who are homeless smoking in public than we are to see people who are working in a shop or working in trade. So it’s easy to fall into these patterns of thinking.

“Those stereotypes don’t help to empower people who smoke and they don’t support the appropriate kind of targeting and messaging.”

Dr Banks and Ms Aw want to see more focus on how the country of birth for different Australians affects smoking, and pursue similar studies for vaping.

“This should also help the community to understand that this is a community-wide issue,” Dr Banks said.

“I think sometimes that tendency to stereotype people who smoke can make people seem distant … smoking is now becoming so stigmatised, and a lot of people are actually doing it secretly.”