ELIZABETH has been named as one of the suburbs with the most smokers in Australia by a leading health policy think-tank.

Melbourne University’s Mitchell Institute found 31.1 per cent of residents in Elizabeth and Salisbury smoked, placing it as the fourth-worst area in Australia.

The suburb’s smoking rate is the same as the nation-wide rate in 1988, well before any of the modern laws regarding tobacco advertising were introduced.

Smoking rates in Australia currently sit at 14 per cent and have seen a steady decline since their peak in the 1970s, when 75 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women smoked.

Mitchell Institute health police lead Ben Harris said breaking down smoking rates to communities can help governments better utilise their “limited advertising and health service budgets”.

“We know where we live, where we work, when we left school and who we know influences smoking,” he said.

“We also know that the best way to stop children picking up the habit is to encourage the adults around them to quit smoking.

“Overall, our success is lauded internationally, and we have some of the lowest smoking rates in the world.

“However, our national success story hides some troubling local data.

“We need to redouble our efforts to facilitate opportunities for people to quit in those communities.

“Using local approaches and local knowledge could help make sure that all Australians are given the best opportunity to quit smoking and improve their health and wellbeing.”

The Australian Health Policy Collaboration, made up of more than 50 of Australia’s leading health organisations, is targeting a smoking rate of five per cent nationally by 2025.

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network head of respiratory medicine Dr James Geake said there were a wide range of services offered in Elizabeth to help people quit smoking.

“Across the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, we use a number of strategies to provide patients assistance with quitting, including assessing a patient’s smoking status, providing  information about healthy lifestyles, counselling services, GP referrals, or referrals to Quitline,” he said.

“Quitting smoking can be difficult and there can be barriers for some people, but it is one of the best things you can do for your health.”