• There are an estimated 1.1 billion smokers in the world. [1]
• 17% of Victorian adults are regular smokers (a decline from 31.5% in 1986). [2]
• Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. [3]
• Smoking kills more than 19,000 Australians each year. That’s more than deaths caused by alcohol and illicit drugs combined. [4]
• Indigenous smoking rates (51%) are still the highest among any population group in Australia. [5]
• Programs to reduce tobacco consumption over the past 30 years have cost $176 million but have reduced health care costs by at least $0.5 billion (a saving of more than $324 million) and have created total benefits worth $8.4 billion. [6]
• Achievements in tobacco control show that more than 17,000 premature deaths are being averted because of lowered tobacco consumption. [7]
• Since 1 July 2001, Victoria’s restaurants, cafes and the dining areas of pubs and clubs have been smokefree. [8]

References

1. Ezazati M & Lopez AD 2003, 'Estimates of global mortality attributable to smoking in 2000', The Lancet, Vol 362, September 2003.
2. The Cancer Council Victoria 2004, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, http://www.cancervic.org.au..
3. World Health Organisation 2005, http://www.who.int/tobacco.
4. AIHW & ABS 2005, Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, AIHW Cat No. IHW-14; ABS Cat No. 4704-0, Canberra.
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2001
6. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2003, Returns of Investment in Public Health: An epidemiological and economic analysis, prepared by Access Economics for the Population Health Division of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.
7. VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control 2003, Tobacco Control: A Blue Chip Investment in Public Health.
8. Quit 2000, http://www.quit.org.au.