Patterns of smoking among Singaporeans

In the mid-seventies, a few base-line survey showed an average of about 25% of adults (aged 15 years and above) were regular smokers. Males predominated (6-8:1), prevalence increased with age reaching peak after 40 years and cigarette consumption was 16/day in males and 10/day in females. Malays tended to have higher smoking rates, so were those with little or no education. In 1984, a repeat survey showed the overall rate at 19% and the age-specific rates had declined, especially in the group above 40 years (by up to 30%). Again, in 1987, another survey showed the overall rate at 13.6% and age-specific rates declined by another 30% from 1984. With the National Smoking Control Programme at full steam, there is every prospect that we will be able to achieve our goal of becoming a nation of non-smokers.