WESTERN Victoria has the lowest rate of adult daily tobacco smokers in regional Australia, with just 13.5 per cent of people lighting up regularly.
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The federal government’s Institute of Health and Welfare found that western Victoria’s smoking rate was 4.5 percentage points below the regional average in 2014/15.
Western Victoria was also below the national average of 14.5 per cent and less than one point above the metro average.
The definition of western Victoria in the report includes Horsham and all towns and cities from Geelong to the South Australian border to the south-west coast.
The Wimmera’s smoking rate might be higher than the region-wide figure, with a 2013 report finding that the Grampians Medicare area had a 28 per cent adult smoking rate.
Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative campaigned against smoking in March as part of the effort to close the gap between Aboriginal life expectancy and the national average.
The institute also found that the Wimmera was part of one of the most overweight or obese regions in Australia.