More Queenslanders have never smoked

More Queenslanders have never smoked, up from 50.5 per cent in 2014-15 to 53.6 per cent in 2017-18, however this level is lower than the national rate of 55.7 per cent, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

ABS Director of Health, Louise Gates, said the 2017-18 National Health Survey showed this result was driven by an increase in young adults who had never smoked with more than three quarters (75.7 per cent) of adults aged 18-24 having never smoked, up from 62.1 per cent in 2014-15.

“Although there has been an increase in the number of people who have never smoked, daily smoking rates have remained constant since 2014-15 (14.9 per cent in 2017-18 compared with 16.1 per cent in 2014-15).” Ms Gates said.

“The survey also showed over one in five (22.7 per cent) Queenslanders experienced a mental or behavioural condition in 2017-18, an increase from 18.1 per cent in 2014-15 and exceeding the national rate of 20.1 per cent,” Ms Gates said.

“The increase in people with mental and behavioural conditions was driven by rises in both anxiety related conditions (from 12.2 per cent to 15.6 per cent) and depression or feelings of depression (from 9.4 per cent to 12.4 per cent)."

In line with the national rate, around two thirds (65.9 per cent) of adults in Queensland were overweight or obese with one third (33.5 per cent) categorised as overweight and almost one third (32.4 per cent) as obese. More men than women in Queensland were overweight or obese (72.9 per cent and 59.3 per cent respectively).

Nearly half of Queensland adults (46.6 per cent) consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline and exceeding the national rate of 42.1 per cent.

For further information about these and related statistics see publication National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.001), available for free download from the ABS website, www.abs.gov.au.