Can we measure daily tobacco consumption in remote Indigenous communities? Comparing self-reported tobacco consumption with community-level estimates in an Arnhem Land study

Introduction and Aims: In remote Indigenous Australian communities measuring individual tobacco use can be confounded by cultural expectations, including sharing. We compared self-reported tobacco consumption with community-level estimates in Arnhem Land (Northern Territory). Design and Methods: In a cross-sectional survey in three communities (population 2319 Indigenous residents, aged?16 years), 400 Indigenous residents were interviewed (206 men, 194 women). Eight community stores provided information about tobacco sold during the survey. To gauge the impact of 255 non-Indigenous residents on tobacco turnover, 10 were interviewed (five men, five women). Breath carbon monoxide levels confirmed self-reported smoking. Self-reported number of cigarettes smoked per day was compared with daily tobacco consumption per user estimated using amounts of tobacco sold during 12 months before the survey (2007–2008). 'Lighter smokers' (