The puff is running out for smokers - a positive sign for the health of the nation, latest figures reveal.
A new report shows that the national average smoking rate has dramatically declined in the past four decades, with 14 per cent of adult Australians smoking daily.
Health policy think tank Mitchell Institute at Victoria University has revealed the statistics that showed smoking rates across all council areas, on World No Tobacco Day (May 31).
In NSW, St George and Sutherland Shire falls below the national smoking rate of 14 per cent.
In Kogarah, 11.3 per cent of proportion of adults are smoking daily, 11.4 per cent in Hurstville, and 13.7 per cent in Rockdale.
But the rate is slightly higher in Sutherland Shire, with 13.8 per cent proportation of adults smoking (23,650 smokers).
Institute's Health Policy Lead, Ben Harris, says the breakdown of communities that have the highest smoking rates can assist governments to better target their limited advertising and health services budgets to those communities.
"Overall, our success is lauded internationally, and we have some of the lowest smoking rates in the world," Mr Harris said.
"We know the Quit smoking messages, combined with information on packaging about disease caused by smoking is very effective in encouraging people to quit.
"Using local approaches and local knowledge could help make sure that all Australians are given the best opportunity to quit smoking and improve their health and well-being.
"We know where we live, where we work and who we know influences smoking. We also know that the best way to stop children picking up the habit is to support the adults around them to quit smoking.
"It's important that Quit campaigns and health professionals target their messaging to specific communities where smoking rates remain stubbornly high."
Australians with mental health conditions are more than twice as likely to be smokers as the general population.
National smoking rates have been on a steady decline since its peak in the 1970s when almost three quarters of Australian men, and one quarter of women, smoked.
There has also been a steady decline in smoking among pregnant women in NSW, from 10.4 per cent in 2012 to 8.8 per cent in 2017.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in Australia.
The Australian Health Policy Collaboration, comprising more than 50 of Australia's leading health organisations, has set a target for smoking rates of five per cent by 2025.
