2.3 Self-reported measures of tobacco consumption

Surveys that measure tobacco use typically measure how frequently people smoke and how many cigarettes they smoke within a given time period (e.g. per day, per week, or per month). Both factory-made cigarettes and roll-your-own (RYO) are measured as the number of cigarettes consumed within a given period; surveys rarely ask respondents about the amount of tobacco that they use in a RYO cigarette. A 2018 study using the International Tobacco Control 4 Country longitudinal study attempted to quantify the amount of tobacco used in RYO cigarettes among Australians who smoke RYO tobacco by comparing numbers of packs reported purchased with reported numbers of cigarettes smoked. It estimated an average of 0.53 grams was used per cigarette.¹

This section primarily uses data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), and the Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey. As with all survey data, estimates are subject to sampling error. Relative standard errors for many of the estimates in this section are available in data tables produced by the AIHW, or can be supplied on request.

2.3.1 Self-reported consumption among adults who smoke

Figure 2.3.1 shows the estimated number of cigarettes consumed each day cigarette since 1980 among people who regularly smoke factory-made cigarettes.

The number of factory-made cigarettes smoked each day appeared to increase over the 1980s and then decline from the 1990s onwards for both males and females. Compared with 1980, the average number of cigarettes smoked each day in 2022-23 was about 40% lower in men and 32% lower in women. The linear decline in reported the average number of manufactured cigarettes smoked each day between 2001 and 2022-23 was statistically significant for both males and for females (controlling for age).

Another way of looking at self-reported consumption over time is to examine any changes in the proportion of light, moderate, and heavy smoking among people who smoke. Figures 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 show the proportions of the population that smoked daily who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day (light smoking), 10 to 19 cigarettes per day (moderate smoking), and 20 or more cigarettes per day (heavy smoking) both among those who smoked factory-made cigarettes (FMCs) only (Figure 2.3.2) and among those who smoked roll-your-own (RYO) and/or factory-made cigarettes (Figure 2.3.3). These figures also show the mean number of cigarettes of each type of cigarette smoked per day among all people who smoked on a daily basis.

Figure 2.3.2 shows that in the most recent period of 2019 to 2022-23, there was no significant difference in the proportion of people who smoked FMCs daily who were in each of the light, moderate, or heavy smoking groups. This contrasts with the significant increase in the proportion of people in the light smoking group and decrease in the proportion of people in the heavy smoking group, among people who smoked only FMCs, between 2016 and 2019.

Similarly, Figure 2.3.3 shows that there was no significant change in light, moderate, or heavy smoking of both FMCs and RYO between 2019 and 2022-23. This is in contrast to the significant increase in the proportion of light smoking and the decrease in heavy smoking that occurred between 2016 and 2019.

In 2013, moderate smoking became the largest category among people who smoked factory-made cigarettes, with heavy smoking becoming the smallest category in 2019. Among people who smoked any cigarettes (either or both FMCs and RYO), moderate smoking became the most common category in 2016, overtaking heavy smoking. Light smoking has remained the smallest category, although the gap between light and heavy smoking has shrunk since 2013.

The 2022 National Health Survey (NHS),² conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, showed a slightly different pattern of average numbers of cigarettes consumed among people aged 18+ years that smoked cigarettes every day. Light smoking (less than 10 cigarettes per day) was the largest category at 40.4%, followed by moderate smoking (10 to 19 cigarettes per day) at 38.0%, and heavy smoking (more than 20 cigarettes per day) at 21.1%. The 2022 NHS found that among people who reported smoking daily, the average number of cigarettes consumed was 11.8 per day. As demonstrated in Figure 2.3.3 this was lower than the average reported in the 2022–23 NDSHS (15.6 cigarettes consumed per day), suggesting that people who reported smoking in NDSHS were more likely to consume more cigarettes per day than the NHS sample.

2.3.1.1 Self-reported consumption patterns by age

A person who smokes a ‘pack-a-day’ smokes 20 or more cigarettes per day. In 2022–23, 35.2% of people aged 18 years or older who smoked daily smoked at least a pack each day, similar to 2019 (33.3%).

The proportion of people who smoke who smoke a pack-a-day varies with age. Figure 2.3.4 shows the proportion of people who smoked daily who consumed a pack per day by age group from 2010 to 2022–23. Fewer than one-in-five people who smoke daily under 25 years old consumed a pack-a-day, compared to 35% of 40–49 year olds. The proportion of people consuming a pack-a-day was highest among those aged 50 to 69 years old at approximately 46%.

The reported number of factory-made cigarettes smoked per day by adults who smoke cigarettes in various age groups since 1980 is shown in Figure 2.3.5.

Since the surveys began, young people who smoke have consistently reported fewer cigarettes per day than older people. In addition, the proportional decline in daily cigarette use is larger for younger age groups than older: between 1980 and 2022-23, the average number of cigarettes smoked daily declined by 53% among 18-24-year-olds, 57% among 25-29-year-olds, 53% among 30-39-year-olds, 37% among 40-49-year-olds, and 21% among those aged 60 years and older.

Table 2.3.1 also shows the average daily number of factory-made and/or roll your own cigarettes smoked by age group and sex for people aged 18+ years who currently smoke, since 2001. In 2022-23, average daily cigarette use was lowest among those under 30 years, and highest among those aged 50 years and older.

While the average number of cigarettes smoked per day did not change within any group between 2019 and 2022–23, there have been substantial declines since 2001 in those age 60 years and under. For those aged under 40 years, declines of between 29% to 40% were observed. The largest absolute reductions were seen among males aged 30 to 59 years, reducing by 6.3 cigarettes per day from 2001 to 2022–23.

2.3.2 Self-reported consumption among secondary school students

Cancer Council Victoria (formerly the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria) has co-ordinated surveys examining smoking prevalence among children attending Australian secondary schools approximately every three years since 1984. The prevalence of smoking among secondary school students is described in full in Chapter 1, Section 1.6.

Figure 2.3.6 sets out the average number of cigarettes smoked each weeks as reported in each survey year by secondary school students who smoked at least one cigarette in the last week.

Since the surveys began almost 40 years ago, the average number of cigarettes smoked each week has declined substantially among secondary students. Among 12- to 15-year-olds, the number of cigarettes smoked per week has declined by about 65% from 1984 to 2022-23, and for 16 and 17-year-olds, the decline is even greater at about 79%. Much of this decline occurred in the years between 2017 and 2022-23: the number of cigarettes smoked each week declined between 1984 and 2017 by about 33% for 12- to 15-year-olds and 50% for 16- and 17-year-olds.

There was no real difference between the younger and older secondary student groups in 2022-23, whereas in previously years, 16- and 17-year-olds reported smoking a significantly greater number of cigarettes each week than 12- to 15-year-olds.³

Figure 2.3.7 shows the average number of cigarettes smoked each week over time among students who had smoked in the past week by age group and sex. The largest declines from 1984 to 2022-23 were among females: a 71% decline in average weekly cigarettes was observed among 12- to 15-year-old females and an 86% decline was observed among 16- and 17-year-old females. Substantial declines were also seen for male secondary school students over this period: 62% for 12- to 15-year-olds, and 68% for 16- and 17-year-olds.

2.3.3 Self-reported consumption by socioeconomic status

Along with being more likely to take up and continue smoking (see Sections 9.1 and 9.2), people who are socio-economically disadvantaged generally smoke greater numbers of cigarettes each day than those who are socio-economically advantaged. Figure 2.3.8 shows the number of average daily cigarettes (FMC and/or RYO) smoked among people who smoke regularly, by socioeconomic group and year. Since 2001, there has been a significant linear decrease in daily cigarettes within each socioeconomic group (controlling for age and sex). In the most recent period of 2019 to 2022-23, there was a significant decline for those in the most disadvantaged group and the least disadvantaged group, but no change for those in quintiles two to four.

For a detailed discussion of consumption over time by various indicators of disadvantage, see Section 9.2.

2.3.4 Comparisons between levels of per capita tobacco consumption based on tax receipts and those based on self-report data

People who smoke tend to under-report the number of cigarettes they consume in surveys.^4-7 For further discussion about the relative validity of various methods of estimating consumption, see Section 2.6. Section 2.2.3 also demonstrates how estimates of consumption based on self-reported data compare to estimates based on customs and excise duty.

Section 13.7 also discusses factors that impact estimates of tobacco consumption based on receipts for payments of customs and excise duty.

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References

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2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey, 2022. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022.

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7. Shiffman S. How many cigarettes did you smoke? Assessing cigarette consumption by global report, time-line follow-back, and ecological momentary assessment. Health Psychology, 2009; 28(5):519-26.