1.7 Smoking rates and attained level of education

Increasing education levels are associated with decreasing smoking prevalence.(5) Table 1.6 shows smoking prevalence by education level between 1980 and 1992. For males in education groups I and II, the 1992 prevalence estimates were significantly lower than those found in 1980. Between 1980 and 1992 there was a significant decline in smoking among females in education group I.

Table 1.6: Smoking rates by eduational level and sex
Educational	Male %
level	1980	1983	1986	1989	1992	1995
I	44	41	37	35	34	32
II	44	41	39	37	32	33
III	31	28	29	26	27	26
IV	n/a	n/a	18	21	18	17
	Female %
	1980	1983	1986	1989	1992	1995
I	31	31	29	28	25	26
II	32	32	32	29	28	28
III	27	27	26	26	24	22
IV	n/a	n/a	18	17	14	14
Note: LBC = Educational level attained I: less than or equal to Year 9 II: years 10 and 11 III: year 12 or more (not university graduate) IV: university graduate not applicable - this educational level not distinguished from Level III in earlier surveys Source: Hill et al 5, Hill and White 6, Hill and Gray 14, 15, Hill 16, Hill et al 6a.

However smoking rates are still highest among the less educated. As more educated groups, and those in higher socioeconomic groups, have quit smoking or more importantly, never taken it up, smoking has become increasingly concentrated among the less educated and blue collar workers. A higher proportion of those who now smoke are heavily addicted to tobacco, are underinformed or disadvantaged, are still subject to peer pressure, especially in blue collar work places, or have remained unaware of mainstream education campaigns because their first language is not English.(21) The needs of these specific subgroups within the smoking population are increasingly being addressed by health education campaigns (see Chapter 13 for further discussion).