The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released the first findings from the 2025 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), showing that daily smoking has fallen to 5.6% of Australians aged 14 and over—the lowest rate recorded in more than 20 years.
While these results highlight Australia’s progress in reducing smoking and overall nicotine use, vaping and e-cigarette use has also declined overall. However, emerging challenges such as illicit tobacco use and changing nicotine product trends remain.
For PDHPE teachers, these findings reinforce the importance of using current, evidence-based data to explore health issues with students. They also support the strengths-based approach embedded in the PDHPE syllabus—recognising Australia’s success in reducing smoking while encouraging students to critically examine emerging health challenges and strategies that promote positive health outcomes.
📅 More findings from the 2025 National Drug Strategy Household Survey are still to come:
• August 2026: Detailed analysis of nicotine use, including emerging products and patterns of use.
• Later in 2026: Results on alcohol consumption and illicit drug use.
Read the full AIHW media release here.
