Tobacco key facts and figures

Overview: Each year, smoking kills an estimated 15,000 Australians and costs Australia $31.5 billion in social (including health) and economic costs. Tobacco sales Recent figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that total consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in the March quarter 2014 is the lowest ever recorded, as measured by estimated expenditure on tobacco products: $5.135 billion in September 1959; $3.508 billion in December 2012; and $3.405 billion in March 2014. Tobacco consumption The Commonwealth Treasury has further advised that tobacco clearances (including excise and customs duty) fell by 3.4% in 2013 relative to 2012 when tobacco plain packaging was introduced. Clearances are an indicator of tobacco volumes in the Australian market. Smoking prevalence rates In relation to smoking rates, the Australian Government relies on data from national surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)