The long-term decline of adult tobacco use in Victoria: changes in smoking initiation and quitting over a quarter of a century of tobacco control

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in regular smoking prevalence among demographic and socioeconomic groups of Victorian adults from 1984 to 2008. METHODS: Data were drawn from face-to-face and telephone surveys of randomly sampled Victorians conducted annually from 1984 to 2008. RESULTS: Regular smoking in Victoria declined from 33.2% in 1984 to 15.5% in 2008, a relative decline of 53%. This change was largely accounted for by significant drops in 'ever smoking' among 18-29 year olds (from 59% to 35%, a relative decline of 41%) and by increased quitting among those aged 30 and older (from a quit proportion [% of those ever smoked who have quit] of 37% to 61% among 30-49 year olds, a relative inc..