Research Article

Smoking and Other Drug Characteristics of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Prisoners in Australia

Table 2

Smoking and cessation behaviours by Aboriginality.

CharacteristicsSmoking cessation RCT2009 NSW inmate health survey
Aboriginal men
% ( )
Non-aboriginal men
% ( )
Total men
% ( )
Aboriginal men
% ( )
Non-aboriginal men
% ( )
Total men
% ( )

Smoking behaviours and history
Current smoker100.0100.0100.083.271.1
Mean age when first smoked tobacco (+SD)12.7 (4.3)13.9 (4.2)13.7 (4.3)13.6 (5.0)14.0 (4.5)13.9 (4.7)
Mean age when first smoked tobacco daily (+SD)15.1 (4.7)15.5 (4.1)15.5 (4.2)N/AN/AN/A
Mean years when smoked tobacco (+SD) 19.2 (9.9)19.9 (10.3)19.8 (10.2)N/AN/AN/A
Mean carbon monoxide reading (+SD)13.1 (7.8)14.5 (7.7)14.3 (7.8)N/AN/AN/A
Mean cigarettes smoked per day (+SD)22.7 (8.4)23.2 (10.0)23.2 (9.8)N/AN/AN/A
Smoking 20+ cigarettes per day67.270.670.118.3†*27.524.2
High tobacco dependence
(Fagerstrom 6+)
84.482.682.8N/AN/AN/A
Sharing a cell with a smoker42.231.933.562.951.955.1
Smoking White Ox (loose tobacco)98.497.097.297.894.996.6
Reason for smoking: spouse smoked/helps fit into group59.436.640.0N/AN/AN/A

Smoking cessation history
Quitting behaviours in past year
 Giving up more than one month12.513.012.917.222.120.4
 Trying to give up unsuccessfully65.659.360.243.752.449.3
 Lower tar or nicotine content14.15.36.64.09.67.6
 Reduced amount of tobacco smoked50.047.447.856.357.256.9
 Quitting on purpose for 24 hours59.452.653.7N/AN/AN/A
 Any type of quitting behaviour75.073.173.482.781.682.0
Mean times of trying to quit smoking (+SD)2.8 (3.3)2.6 (7.4)2.6 (7.9)N/AN/AN/A
Stages of readiness to quit smoking
 Seriously thinking of cutting down98.494.795.3N/AN/AN/A
 Seriously thinking about quitting100.099.799.8N/AN/AN/A
 Plannig to quit smoking100.099.299.3N/AN/AN/A
 Very sure of wanting to cut down smoking92.289.289.7N/AN/AN/A
 Very sure of being able to cut down smoking43.848.247.5N/AN/AN/A
 Very determined to cut down81.383.983.5N/AN/AN/A
 Very sure of being able to quit smoking40.650.148.7N/AN/AN/A
 Very determined to quit smoking90.686.787.3N/AN/AN/A

Statistically significant comparing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal male inmates. *Categories started at 21+ cigarettes per day.