Smoking Addiction In Sydney - Public Health Issue 

1. Health Issue

Teen smoking addiction in Sydney region is a leading public health issue. Statistics by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicate that daily smoking among those aged between 15 and 24 years was estimated at around 9% in 2020-21 (Greenhalg et al., 2024). This is, however, a decrease from the previous years, thereby, making smoking rate among the youth remain a source of concern because of the long-term health problems created by nicotine addiction and tobacco use (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022).

Smoking addiction among the youth is widespread in vulnerable groups such as those from the lower socioeconomic classes, specific cultural or ethnic groups with high rates of smoking, and individuals having mental health problems or substance abuse issues. Furthermore, studies carried out by researchers has revealed that teenagers who start smoking at a very young age are more susceptible to develop long-term nicotine addiction (Leonardi-Bee et al., 2016).

Overall factors influencing the issue: The smoking addiction among teenagers has a multi-dimensional nature and is a result of biological, social, as well as environmental factors. As for the biological aspect, the brain of the adolescent is still under development, with nicotine causes the chances of addictions to be more likely and a bad habit to be formed (Dessaix et al. 2016).

The social and environmental factors have a big impact on the initiation and perpetuation of smoking in teenagers. Peer pressure, exposure to smoking in media and popular culture and the impact of smoking by family members or friends who may be prone to smoking can all lead to the normalization of smoking and increase the tendency of experimentation (Leonardi-Bee et al., 2016). In addition to that, the situation is being worsened by social factors like low socioeconomic class, lack of education and scarce access to resources and social support. (Mohsin & Bauman, 2005)

Teenagers' smoking behavior can be influenced by other factors such as supply and access to cigarettes and exposure to secondhand smoke. Ineffectiveness of age restriction enforcement and marketing tactics of the tobacco industry result in underage kids getting hold of cigarettes (Tobacco in Australia, 2011).

2. Impact of health issue on target population

The target group for the health issue of smoking among teenagers in Sydney is heterogeneous and composed of a variety of factors. The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the Sydney metropolitan area is the home of about 5 million residents and a big part of those residents are between the ages of 15 and 24 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). This group of people are as diverse as they can be in terms of race, culture, economic background and level of proximity to the urban area.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, within the 15 to 24 age group, there were about 9% of daily smokers in 2020-21 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022). On the other hand, young adult smokers may include people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, specific cultures with higher smoking prevalence, individuals with psychological issues as well as those who have a history of drug abuse.

Factors of smoking addiction among Sydney teenagers are multilayered and involve biologic, social, and ecologic determinants. Similarly to what we discussed earlier, youth brain plasticity enables nichotine addiction and the development of harmful patterns.

Socially, the factors like peer pressure, media, popular culture, and the influence of family members or friends who smoke might lead to the social acceptance of the habit. One of the environmental determinants that can contribute to tobacco use is the presence and accessibility of tobacco products, the exposure to secondhand smoke, and the marketing strategies of tobacco markets.

The consequences of smoking addiction on the youth in Sydney reaches far and includes physical, mental, social and financial implications. In terms of physical health, smoking causes respiratory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and different cancers, all of which can lead to long-term consequences, such as compromising health condition and general well-being. Psychologically, nicotine dependence and quitting difficulties bring stress, anxiety, and depression. Those conditions cover up teenagers.

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3. Service capabilities and community resources

Addressing the smoking addiction of teenagers in the Sydney community involves understanding the programs offered as well as the resources in the area. These resources are very important for effective provision of prevention programmes, intervention procedures and support systems to the target group.

Health workforce availability: The Sydney metro area has a wide range of types of health care professionals, such as physicians, nurses, psychologists, counselors, and addiction specialists. This category of experts plays a key role in delivering education, prevention, and care activities directed at helping teenagers quit smoking. But, as the distribution of healthcare professionals in Sydney varies across the regions, rural or lower socio-economic areas may appear with fewer medical facilities.

Assessment of efficiency and effectiveness: The efficiency and effectiveness of services intended to fight smoking addiction among teenagers in Sydney are determined by a number of factors, among them accessibility, affordability, quality of care, and cultural fitness.

Geographical accessibility implies the vicinity of healthcare facilities to the chosen population. Services located at or close to the places with a high population of teenagers, for instance at schools or community centres, may be more comfortable and reachable.

Besides affordability, there is another very important factor, and it is that most teenagers are not financially well off. Accessibility to public or subsidized services might be easier than private healthcare providers and therefore, the cost will not be an issue for the people who need support.

The quality of services related to smoking cessation and prevention is crucial for their efficiency. The health-care sector should be able to fully prepare and provide trained and competent professionals using evidence-based methods and resources to provide tailored high-quality care for teenagers.

The aspect of cultural appropriateness too is of critical importance, as Sydney is a culturally diverse city. Providing services that are culturally sensitive and inclusive, multilingual or other culturally relevant approaches, may prove more positive in the teenagers from various backgrounds’ engagement and support.

Stakeholders to consult: The key to ultimately overcoming teenage smoking issues in Sydney is by involving different influential stakeholders who have the power to drive and deliver evidence-based strategies. These stakeholders may include:

1.    Government agencies and policymakers: Without a doubt, the local and state government and agencies in charge of public health, education and tobacco control policies are institutions with the power to dictate rules, allocate budgets and implement evidence-based programs.
2.    Healthcare providers and organizations: The providers of the direct healthcare services, hospitals, and the community health organizations are the key players who are always there to offer support to the teenagers who are addicted to smoking.
3.    Educational institutions: Schools, universities, and educational authorities at the moderate level are of cutting edge when it comes to the implementation of school-based prevention programs, provision of resources, and creation of an enabling environment for smoking cessation.
4.    Community organizations and support groups: These institutions such as local organizations, youth centres and organizations dedicated to addiction prevention can provide the necessary guidance and resources to the target population.
5.    Researchers and academic institutions: This collaboration allows us to get hold of the newest evidence-based methods, data analysis and continuous evaluation of intervention strategies implemented by researchers and academic institutions.
6.    Families and caregivers: Talking to the relatives and carers of teenagers experiencing smoking cessation will enable me to understand their perspectives, barriers, and needs, while at the same time they become partners in this quit smoking campaign.

4. Priorities for action

Referring to the smoking addiction crisis among young people of Sydney and the service availability and community resources, certain action priorities are going to be driven. These goals concur with the principles of evidence-based approaches and health promotion involving comprehensive and lasting change.
1.    Implementing comprehensive school-based prevention programs: School-based programs have been found to work by decreasing the number of youths starting to smoke and encouraging healthy lifestyle among adolescents (Dessaix et al., 2016). These programs should adopt curriculums based on research findings, involve skill building activities and peer-initiated approaches for efficiency. Among the concepts of health promotion that these programs should adhere to are empowerment and involvement, therefore they ought to clearly include students in both design and delivery processes.
2.    Strengthening community-based support services: By supplying the community with the health care services that are accessible as well as culturally appropriate, the smoking cessation process among the teenagers can be enhanced. These services could include smoking and replacement therapy as well as the facilitation of support groups by trained professionals. These services can be designed in a way that they utilize all of the power and potential of their community, which means that they will be able to respond to the specific needs and contexts of their target population, which is in line with the health promotion principle of equity.
3.    Implementing policy and environmental changes: it appears that rules and environment changes will adequately discourage the smoking habit and limit the access to cigarettes (Willemsen et al., 2012). Priorities include raising taxes on tobacco products, ensuring age restrictions are enforced, and enacting no-smoking policies in areas where teens frequent the most. These actions hold the same concept of health promotion that is creating the supportive environment and eventually works to de-normalize smoking among the target population.

Academic Honesty Note

Being a student of Western Sydney University, I always dedicate to upholding the principles of scholarship honesty and complying with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy. Hence, I had created a piece of work truly original and correctly cited and referenced all the sources I had used. I have excluded any form of plagiarism by omitting copying from fellow students, online sources or AI generative tools without proper acknowledgement.

Additionally, I have never used any academic cheating sites or purchased any writing services as my awareness is high that such actions break the ethics of academic integrity and might cause serious penalties. Conclusively, I affirm that the submitted product is solely mine, and I have not undergone falsification of any documents or collusiveness with outside resources that may compromise academic integrity. I know well that academic dishonesty may lead to the application of various sanctions such as the revocated degree in the worst case. However, I was sure I was guided by the values of honesty, ethics and integrity throughout the preparation of my report.

 

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References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2022, March 21). Smoking, 2020-21 | Australian Bureau of Statistics. Www.abs.gov.au. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/smoking/latest-release
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2022, February 25). Australia’s children, Smoking and drinking behaviour. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/health/smoking-drinking-behaviour
Dessaix, A., Maag, A., McKenzie, J., & Currow, D. (2016). Factors influencing reductions in smoking among Australian adolescents. Public Health Research & Practice, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp2611605
Greenhalgh, EM, Bayly, M, & Scollo, M. (2024). 1.4 Prevalence of smoking—young adults. In Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors].  Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria. Available from  http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-4-prevalence-of-smoking-young-adults 
Leonardi-Bee, J., Nderi, M., & Britton, J. (2016). Smoking in movies and smoking initiation in adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction, 111(10), 1750–1763. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13418
Mohsin, M., & Bauman, A. E. (2005). Socio-demographic factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among 426,344 pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia. BMC Public Health, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-5-138
Tobacco in Australia. (2011). Prevalence of smoking—teenagers - Tobacco In Australia. Tobaccoinaustralia.org.au. https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-6-prevalence-of-smoking-teenagers
Willemsen, M. C., Segaar, D., & van Schayck, O. C. P. (2012). Population impact of reimbursement for smoking cessation: a natural experiment in the Netherlands. Addiction, 108(3), 602–604. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.04089.x