BackgroundHistorical data on smoking can enhance our comprehension of the effectiveness of past tobacco control policies and play a key role in developing targeted public health interventions. This study was undertaken to assess trends in smoking initiation and cessation in Australia for the period 1910–2005.MethodsRates of smoking initiation and cessation were calculated for participants in two population-based cohorts, the Busselton Health Study and the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study. The effects of time trends, gender and age group were evaluated.ResultsOf the 29,971 participants, 56.8% ever smoked. In males, over the period 1910–1999, the rate of smoking initiation in young adolescents remained high with a peak in the 1970s; in older adolescents it peaked in the 1940s and then declined; in young adults it showed a steady decline. In females, the rate of smoking initiation in young adolescents rose sharply in the 1960s and peaked in the 1970s, in older adolescents it increased throughout the period, and in young adults it declined after 1970. In the period 1930–2005, 27.3% of 9,605 people aged 36–50 years who smoked ceased smoking. Rates of cessation in this age group increased throughout but decreased in males after 1990 and plateaued around 2000 in females.ConclusionOur findings show substantial variation in the efficacy of tobacco control policies across age groups, with a notable lack of success among the younger population.

Census employment and income data for persons working in creative industries and creative occupations.

This dataset consists of 14 individual datasets that underpin the interactive dashboards on the project's Data Tables webpage.

Project background:

Australian cultural and creative activity: A population and hotspot analysis is an Australian Research Council Linkage project (LP160101724) being undertaken by QUT and the University of Newcastle, in partnership with Arts Queensland, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts South Australia and the Western Australian Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

This comprehensive project aims to grasp the contemporary dynamics of cultural and creative activity in Australia. It brings together population-level and comparative quantitative and qualitative analyses of local cultural and creative activity. The project will paint a complete national picture, while also exploring the factors that are producing local and regional creative hotspots.

Creative hotspots for study were selected in consultation with state research partners:

Queensland – Cairns, Sunshine Coast + Noosa, Gold Coast, Central West Queensland
New South Wales – Coffs Harbour, Marrickville, Wollongong, Albury
Victoria – Geelong + Surf Coast, Ballarat, Bendigo, Wodonga
Western Australia – Geraldton, Fremantle, Busselton, Albany + Denmark
South Australia – to be confirmed shortly

Statistical summaries drawn from a diverse range of data sources including the Australian Census, the Australian Business Register, IP Australia registration data, infrastructure availability lists and creative grants and rights payments as well as our fieldwork, inform hotspot reports.