Smoking a drag say most Queensland school students

Most Queensland school students no longer consider it cool to smoke, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

That’s the conclusion of new research funded by Queensland Health and the Queensland Cancer Fund into smoking by school students aged 12-17 years.

“The survey found fewer Queensland teenagers are smoking and, even better, the number of students trying a cigarette is at an all-time low,” Mr Robertson said.

“It shows State Government efforts to discourage smoking and crack down on retailers selling tobacco products to minors are working.

“That’s encouraging. But the survey also shows too many young Queenslanders haven’t got the message and still smoke.”

Mr Robertson said 2,091 male and female students from 39 government and non-government schools throughout Queensland were polled in late 2005 as part of the Australian School Students Alcohol and Drug Survey.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Just 11 % of male and 12 % of female students aged 12-17 years said they had smoked in the week prior to the survey.

• That’s 3% lower than the 2002 survey and nearly half the 1995 rate of 20%. It was also the lowest percentage since polling began in 1984.

• 85 % of students polled had smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes in their lifetime.

• 62% overall had never smoked a cigarette – the first time this figure had topped 60 % in Queensland.

Dr Suzanne Steginga, Queensland Cancer Fund Director of Community Services and Cancer Research Programs, said the results were encouraging.

“However, it still shows an estimated 32,000 students had smoked around 920,000 cigarettes in the week before the survey.

“The data highlights that it is important to send a clear message to younger smokers that every cigarette is doing them damage and there is no such thing as a safe level of tobacco consumption.

“Support and information for young people wanting to quit smoking is available through the Quitline on 13 QUIT (13 7848),” Dr Steginga said.

Mr Robertson said there’s been a positive cultural change in young peoples’ smoking habits.

“Anti-smoking advertising, school-based programs, tough State laws and fewer adults smoking, have all contributed to a cultural change in young peoples’ smoking habits.

“We’ve toughened penalties for people selling cigarettes to minors, prohibited point-of-sale cigarette advertising; introduced mandatory training for retail employees to not sell cigarettes to children; and tightened restrictions on children’s access to tobacco vending machines.

“But there’s no room for complacency when smoking continues to be the largest cause of preventable deaths in Australia.

“On average 3,400 Queenslanders die every year from smoking-related illnesses.

“Increasing rates of lung cancer in women are of particular concern, with deaths from the disease having risen by 75% between 1982 and 2004.

“With levels of smoking among young women of school age falling, the challenge now is to reduce these rates among women aged 20-29 years.

“Current statistics show that 27.9 % of Queensland women aged 20 to 29 are daily smokers, compared to 22.9 % nationally.

“That’s why Queensland Health is running its Feeling Good campaign aimed at 18-24 year olds who smoke. The campaign helps young women who feel trapped by their habit to give up with the help and support of a dedicated website and campaign advertising,” he said.

The survey results are available on the Queensland Cancer Fund website at: http://www.qldcancer.com.au/media/latestmedia.asp

Media inquiries:

Paul Lynch Minister’s Office 3234 1190

Ruth Miles Queensland Cancer Fund 3258 2241