Although tobacco smoking rates in Australia have been steadily decreasing, a survey from 2020 showed that approximately 1 in 10 South Australians aged over 15 still smoke daily. While smoking rates are decreasing, the use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise, with 3.2% of current smokers using them daily (up by 1.5% since 2016).1

Smoking causes a range of serious health problems including cancers, coronary heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung diseases, and remains the leading cause of preventable death in Australia. In 2018, more than 20,000 Australians died from smoking-related causes (13% of all deaths).2 Every year, around 1,490 South Australians die from tobacco-related causes.3

There is no safe level of tobacco smoking. Breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke (passive smoking, second hand smoking or environmental tobacco smoking) is also harmful and there is increasing evidence that second-hand smoke exposure is associated with psychological distress.4

Many people believe that vaping causes less harm than smoking cigarettes because vapes don’t contain tobacco, but this is not true. No safe level of vaping has been established. With or without nicotine, all e-liquid solutions used in vaping contain a mixture of unregulated and harmful chemicals and additives.

There is not enough evidence to promote the use of e-cigarettes to help people stop smoking. From 1 October 2021, consumers need a valid prescription to import nicotine vaping products, such as nicotine e-cigarettes, nicotine pods and liquid nicotine.

Quitting is one of the best things someone can do to improve their health and the health of their friends and family. Importantly, some health and other benefits can be enjoyed almost immediately. These benefits occur at any age and can range from increased life expectancy and improved quality of life to significant financial benefits.5 People who have successfully quit smoking report feeling fitter and more energetic–and they are also saving money.

Nicotine is highly addictive and quitting can be difficult. In fact, most people try to quit multiple times before they are successful. Almost three quarters of South Australian smokers have made a previous quit attempt. More than a third have tried to quit in the past year and over two thirds want to try to quit in the next six months.6 This means that a lot of people want to quit smoking. It is important for workplaces to support those thinking about quitting.

Smokers have a 20–30% higher risk of injury than non-smokers, and when injured they take longer to recover.

In South Australia, smoking is prohibited by law in all enclosed workplaces and shared work areas (such as offices, shops, factories and work vehicles), including outdoor dining areas.7 This law is in place to protect people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.8
Smoke-free workplaces also have other benefits, including:

  • reducing the workplace costs associated with smoking - smoking related costs are due to loss of staff due to premature death, absenteeism, environmental impact, and clean up or refurbishment costs due to cigarette butt litter9
  • improving productivity
  • reducing fire risk
  • promoting a healthy and responsible
  • corporate image
  • enhanced workplace safety
  • minimising the risk of prosecution or civil action by employees who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke and compliance with legislation, including the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Products Act, 1997 (SA), Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), and smoking bans within enclosed workplaces from 2004 (hospitality venues, 2007)
  • improving staff morale and relationships
  • creating fair working conditions for both smokers and non-smokers
  • creating a fresher and cleaner atmosphere for visitors and clients.

Actions you can take to help people to quit smoking and create a smokefree workplace

Healthy vision — create polices, practice and positive culture for a smoke-free workplace

  • Promote a smoke-free workplace by developing and implementing a 100% smoke-free policy. This should include outdoor areas where appropriate, in particular those within 10 metres of building entrances.
  • Embed no-smoking support procedures into work, health, and safety procedures and policies.
  • Update your knowledge about South Australian tobacco legislation.

Healthy place — create a smoke-free workplace environment

  • Promote and provide a smoke-free workplace. If there is onsite smoking, make sure the dedicated area complies with legislation.
  • Spread the quit smoking message with promotional materials and run events to encourage quitting. Embed quit smoking messages into all communication channels.

Healthy people — encourage and support workers to be smoke-free

  • Promote, and provide access to, support services for those wanting to quit or reduce smoking such as Quitline (call 13 78 48), the My QuitBuddy app, and besmokefree.com.au
  • Remind workers that a general practitioner can help them quit smoking by prescribing nicotine replacement therapy and/or referring them for counselling.
  • Find out if your workplace employee assistance program offers help with goal setting and behavioural change. If it does, promote the program widely and let people know their options.
  • Consider sponsoring comprehensive quit programs. For example, subsidise quit smoking aids like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or provide incentives for those who quit smoking.
  • Provide, or support participation in, quit smoking programs during work time.
  • Consider extending workplace quit programs to people’s families and household members where feasible.
  • Inform workers on the latest information on vaping.

More resources to help you take action

Smoking and vaping referral guide (DOCX, 463.2 KB)

Cancer Council SA has information on how to help people quit smoking.

SafeWork SA has dedicated information and advice related to smoking.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has facts, information and resources on nicotine and vaping (e-cigarettes).

1 AIHW, Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia, AIHW, 2022.

2 AIHW, Australian burden of disease study 2018: Interactive data on risk factor burden, AIHW, 2021.

3 Health Policy Centre, Key smoking Statistics for SA – 2020. Adelaide: South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), 2021.

4 MA Campbell, C Ford and MH Winstanley, ‘The health effects of secondhand smoke, 4.0 background’. In MM Scollo and MH Winstanley MH (eds), Tobacco in Australia: facts and issues, Cancer Council Victoria, 2017, accessed 19 February 2019.

5 EM Greenhalgh, S Stillman and C Ford, ‘Health and other benefits of quitting’, In EM Greenhalgh, MM Scollo, and MH Winstanley (eds), Tobacco in Australia: facts and issues, Cancer Council Victoria, 2020.

6 HPC, Key Smoking Statistics for SA – 2020, SAHMRI, 2021.

7 Tobacco and e-cigarette products Act 1997, Tobacco products (Smoking bans in public areas – longer term) Regulations 2012 (r 6).

8 G Carreras, A Lugo, S Gallus, B Cortini, E Fernández, MJ López, et al, ‘Burden of disease attributable to second-hand smoke exposure: A systematic review,’ Preventive Medicine, 2019, 129:105833.

9 S Whetton, R Tait, M Scollo et al, Identifying the social costs of tobacco use to Australia in 2015/16, National Drug Research Institute, 2019; SA Troelstra, P Coenen, CRL Boot, J Harting, AE Kunst and AJ van der Beek, ‘Smoking and sickness absence: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 2020, 46(1):5-18; Quit Victoria, Going smokefree: A guide for workplaces, Cancer Council Victoria, VicHealth and Quit Victoria, 2017.