Impact on families
- In 2001, it was estimated that 5,400 young Australians would lose a middle-aged father and 1,770 would lose a middle-aged mother due to tobacco smoking.
- It is not just a question of length of life, studies have indicated that life-long smokers have greatly reduced quality-of-life before they die at younger ages.
- In 2000, Australian smokers diverted more than $7 billion of their incomes to purchasing tobacco products. Expenditure on tobacco impoverishes low-income households, reducing funds available for many other purposes. Long-term expenditure reduces the capacity of families to purchase homes and save for retirement.
- Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases the frequency of asthma and many other childhood illnesses that result in school absences. Absenteeism is strongly associated with poor school performance, which in turn reduces educational and training opportunities and long-term job prospects.
This page last updated:
June 2006
Review date: September 2006
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