Record low number of Australians smoking daily: data

Young Victorian males are still smoking at an alarming rate despite the overall rate of smoker dropping in the state, data has revealed.

Statistics released by anti-smoking agency Quit Victoria on Monday showed that more Victorian men than women were daily smokers.

A telephone survey of 4,000 Victorians found that 14 percent of men were daily smokers compared to 10 percent of women, according to Sarah White, director of Quit Victoria.

In those aged from 18-29 the gap became even wider with 16 percent of males in that group smoking daily compared to 11.5 percent of young women.

The data represents a major drop in the smoking rate from 10 years ago when more than a quarter of young men and 23 percent of young women were daily smokers.

White said that even with the steady decline in the prevalence of smoking, the campaign to eliminate the habit could not become complacent.

"We still have around 700,000 Victorians who smoke and two thirds of them will die if they don't quit," she said.

Quit Victoria's new campaign targeting young men was launched on Monday with the aim of resonating with the young men who said they wanted to quit eventually.

"They see smoking as a weakness and quitting as a sign of strength and being a good role model," Dr White said. Endit