Tobacco smoking was responsible for 20 per cent of national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths and 12.1 per cent of the total national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander burden of disease in 2003.  First Nations Australians' smoking rates are falling, but nearly 50% of First Nations Australian adults smoke, more than double the smoking prevalence among all Australians.

The harm caused by tobacco is a major public health problem for First Nations Australians.

Upholding Menzies’ commitment to informing public health policy, Menzies staff assist governments, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and other organisations in developing evidence-based tobacco control policies. They have been involved in assisting the implementation of the tobacco control elements of the national Indigenous Chronic Disease package, smokefree policies, and in monitoring progress in reducing smoking in the Northern Territory (NT). Associate Professor David Thomas chairs the Northern Territory Tobacco Advisory Committee which reports annually on the state of smoking in the NT.

Our research focus:
  • To answer questions about Indigenous tobacco control and areas that are most likely to lead to the greatest reductions in Indigenous smoking
  • To investigate smoking in a range of areas to ensure an impact is made both on a local community level as well as a national one
  • To contribute to the development and implementation of effective, evidence-based policies and programs through evaluation and other research.
Our research impact: 
  • Informed public health policy on smoking
  • Monitored trends in Indigenous smoking
  • Assessed impact of tobacco control activities and policies.
  1. Pierce, J.P., Messer, K., White, M.M., Cowling, D.W., & Thomas, D.P. (2011) Prevalence of Heavy Smoking in California and the United States, 1965-2007.  The Journal of the American Medical Association, 305(11), 1106-1112.
  2. Thomas, D.P., Fitz, J.W., Johnston, V., Townsend, J., & Kneebone, W. (2011) Wholesale data for surveillance of Australian Aboriginal tobacco consumption in the Northern Territory.  Tobacco Control, 20(4), 291-295.
  3. Thomas, D. (2012) National trends in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking and quitting, 1994–2008. (2012). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 36(1), 24-29. Additional tables are available here.
  4. Thomas, D.P., & Bond, L.  (2012). The tobacco industry and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  Medical Journal of Australia, 197(1), 24-26.
  5. Johnston, V., Liberato, S., & Thomas, D. (2012). Incentives for preventing smoking in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 10, CD008645.  
  6. Thomas, D.P.  (2012). Changes in smoking intensity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 1994-2008.  Medical Journal of Australia, 198(9), 479.
  7. Johnston, V., Westphal, D., Earnshaw, C., & Thomas, D.P.  (2012). Starting to Smoke: A qualitative study of the experiences of Australian Indigenous Youth.   BMC Public Health, 12, 963. 
  8. Thomas, D.P., Ferguson, M., Johnston, V., & Brimblecombe, J.  (2013). Impact of tobacco tax increase in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 15(6), 1099-1106. 
  9. Johnston, V., Westphal, D., Glover, M., Thomas, D.P., Segan, C., & Walker, N.  (2013). Reducing smoking among indigenous populations: new evidence from a review of trials. Nicotine & Tobacco Research,doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntt022. 
  10. Northern Territory Tobacco Control Advisory Committee (Thomas D, Chair).  (2013) Annual Report.  Darwin: Northern Territory Department of Health.  Retrieved from website.
Click here to view more smoking publications in PubMed.
  1. ‘Total ban’: could this be the last generation of smokers?

  2. Voice of Islam | World Health Day 2022: Our Planet and our Health - Impacts of smoking

  3. Push for Australian government to ban cigarette retail sales

  4. Expert calls for complete cigarette ban in 10 years time

  5. Media Statement | World No Tobacco Day: Time for governments to phase out cigarette sales

  6. LETTER: 148 ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR PHASING OUT SALES OF COMBUSTIBLE TOBACCO PRODUCTS

  7. Restricting sales to pharmacies proposed

  8. No stigma for smoking among Yolngu people in East Arnhem Land

  9. Tongans use social media to fight lifestyle diseases

  10. NT's high smoking rate sparks calls to ease vaping laws

  11. Health survey of male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the NT

  12. BuzzFeed | Scientists Are Rejecting Massive Amounts Of Money

  13. Media Release | Researchers will not accept support from tobacco industry funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

  14. Tackling smoking in remote communities

  15. Using Facebook to quit smoking

  16. Hospitalizations spike as booze bill hits hard | NT News

  17. It’s time for another type of story about Indigenous smoking rates

  18. Aboriginal Australians ditch cigarettes

  19. Encouraging Indigenous smoking and quitting trends in latest ABS Report

  20. Let’s quit being idiots

  21. Pack warning labels help Aboriginal smokers butt out

  22. Facebook could help lower Indigenous smoking rates

  23. Facebook could help lower Indigenous smoking rates, ABC TV

  24. Research probes Indigenous smoking

  25. The evaluation of Northern Territory’s smoke-free prison policy: successes and unexpected results

  26. Jails escape worst link to smokes ban

  27. Legislative changes will reduce smoking harms in the NT

  28. National survey reveals large decline in Indigenous smoking rates

  29. Crikey: Northern Territory prisons totally smoke free

  30. 730NT ABC TV: A report card on the NT's smoking habit

  31. ABC News online: Smoking more harmful than grog, study finds

  32. Report reveals reduced smoking in the Northern Territory

  33. Study reveals true cost of smoking to the Territory

  34. Radio Australia: Research shows smoking rates declining among Indigenous Australians

  35. Research reveals decline in Indigenous heavy smokers

  36. The Conversation: Number of Indigenous heavy smokers down 45%

  37. Researcher of the month: Dr David Thomas