Queensland named nation’s smoking capital

Smoking and vaping rates are highest in Queensland, data released this month indicates – and the RACGP is urging patients to book an appointment to help them quit.
 
The Wesfarmers Health Index, which was released this month and draws its dataset from more than 575,000 anonymised health checks, found Australia’s smoking rate to be highest in Queensland at 13.3% in 2025, just above Tasmania (13.1%).
 
Queensland also had the highest daily vaping rate at 8.2%.
 
RACGP Queensland Chair Dr Cathryn Hester said GPs have a ‘host of strategies and medications’ that can help.
 
‘Many people who quit vaping or smoking try this without counselling and medications, but we know that for anyone other than light consumers, it can be challenging to achieve,’ she said.
 
‘Having a chat with your GP can make it much more likely that you will be successful in quitting. 
 
‘We must do more to help Queenslanders, and patients in all communities, quit smoking and vaping and improve their lifestyles.’ 
 
The illicit tobacco trade is also under increasing scrutiny nationwide, with billions of illicit cigarettes reportedly smoked in Australia in the past year.
 
According to the ABC, the tobacco industry estimates the illicit market accounts for 64% of tobacco and 82% of nicotine consumed in Australia, with a value of around $10 billion.
 
A study published earlier this year also indicates that smoking is linked to around 24,000 deaths across the country each year, more than previously thought, and remains one of the leading risk factors for disease and dying in Australia.
 
‘For many years, Australia was the envy of many countries around the world in terms of tobacco control and smoking rates,’ Dr Hester said.
 
‘However, new and troubling trends are emerging, and the job is far from done.’
 
While the percentage of people smoking daily reduced significantly from 24% in 1991 to 8.3% in 2022–23, plans to reduce the overall adult smoking rate to 5% by 2030 are likely to fail on current trajectories, previous research suggests.
 
However, following a crackdown on vape sales and advertising, there has been a slowing in recent youth vaping rates.
 
Work carried out for the Cancer Council’s ‘Generation Vape’ project, which monitors the use of vapes and tobacco products among 3000 Australians aged 14–17 years, suggests vaping fell from 17.5% to 14.6% for that cohort between February 2023 and April 2025.
 
Around 17.4% of adults currently smoke or vape in Australia according to data published by the research company Roy Morgan in July, with an increasing number using illicit tobacco.
 
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