According to the study, smokers comprise 40 per cent of residents in the Tasmanian suburbs of Bridgewater and Gagebrook.
Mount Druitt in NSW has bthe third highest percentage, at 31.2 per cent, with the South Australian suburbs of Elizabeth, Salisbury, Elizabeth North following immediately after with 31.1 per cent.
The suburbs of Gordon, Killara and Pymble in the northern parts of Sydney have the lowest smoking rates at 6.6 per cent.
The study argues that people with mental health issues are more than twice as likely to be smokers as the general population. Other factors that determine the chances of a person taking up smoking are location, education levels and one’s social circle.
According to existing research by the Cancer Council Victoria, the smoking rates among Australia’s ethnic groups varies significantly, with people from China, Vietnam, North Africa and the Middle East, more likely to smoke.
The World Health Organisation [[WHO]] says globally, tobacco kills eight million people each year, with around 40 per cent of tobacco victims dying from lung diseases, and about one million from second-hand smoke.
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Cigarette on an ashtray Source: Supplied
