While the average rate of tobacco smoking across Western Australia has dropped below 10 per cent the smoking rate within the Peel Region is stuck at almost 15 per cent.
According to the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University smoking rates are higher in lower socio economic areas across Australia.
When the smoking rates are broken down into local suburb’s we can see a clear trend. I will start with the smoking rates of two of Perth’s more affluent suburb’s;
City Beach 4.5 per cent
Cottesloe 5.1 per cent
Halls Head & Erskine 14.8 per cent
North Mandurah 15.0 per cent
Dawesville & Falcon 16.1 per cent
East Mandurah 17.3 per cent
Greenfields 21.5 per cent
Pinjarra 19.3 per cent
Waroona 19.5 per cent
Source: Australia’s Health Tracker by Area: Smoking Rates Report
While Western Australia has a smoking rate of less than 10 per cent, the Peel region as a whole has recorded smoking rates just below 15 per cent.
In the Peel region, 9.8 per cent of residents have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, 6.7 per cent with cancer, and 6.4 per cent with respiratory problems, excluding asthma.