SMOKING rates in NSW have increased for the first time in five years, and the Central Coast is one of the main offenders.
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The website Health Stats NSW showed that smoking rates on the Central Coast had increased from 15 per cent of the adult population in 2010 to 20.1 per cent in 2016.
It is the second highest smoking rate in the state.
Shadow health minister Walt Secord said he was “alarmed” by the statewide trend, but was even more worried about Central Coast smoking rates.
“Central Coast rates are only second to remote country western NSW,” Mr Secord said.
Mr Secord said the state government had failed to meet COAG anti-smoking targets.
Mr Secord said while statewide smoking rates in women remained constant at 11.6 per cent, there had been a 3.1 per cent jump in males – from 15.5 per cent to 18.6 per cent.
This increased the overall statewide smoking rate to 15 per cent – an increase of 1.5 per cent in 2016.
The lowest rate was in Northern Sydney Local Health District at 9 per cent.
Labor’s member for Wyong, and the shadow minister for the Central Coast, David Harris, said the Central Coast could ill afford such an increase in smoking rates.
“The Central Coast has a health and hospital system under enormous pressure,” Mr Harris said.
“The last thing the health system needs is an increase in the number of people smoking and the associated health problems.”
Overall, the highest single smoking demographic group in NSW is males between 35 and 44 years old, at 26.9 per cent.
On a positive note, smoking rates among pregnant women are dropping.