Billionaire Andrew Forrest is spearheading an effort to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, with the campaign claiming it has majority public support.
The national campaign was launched by the mining magnate on Friday in Tasmania, after it was found the state had the highest percentage of smokers.
'Nearly 90 per cent of adult smokers start as children," Mr Forrest said as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
'By the time they reach 21, they are hooked and become lifelong customers of big tobacco.'
15,000 people die every year in Australia due to smoking related problems (file image)
Research from Mitchell Institute at Victoria University confirmed that Hobart suburbs had the highest rates of smokers in Australia.
The suburbs of Bridgewater and Gagebrook had a startling 40 per cent of residents smoking, compared with less than seven per cent in suburbs on Sydney's north shore, which had the lowest rates in the country.
Risdon Vale in Hobart was not far behind with 34 per cent of people smoking.
Mt. Druitt in Sydney's outer west, and the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide had the next highest rates.
Mr Forrest, whose Minderoo Foundation is funding the Eliminate Cancer initiative, launched the Tobacco 21 proposed legislation, which will be read for a second time in parliament in August.
Mr Forrest said the issue must be addressed urgently as hundreds of children experiment with cigarettes every day.
His group estimated 15,000 people die within the country each year from smoking related health problems.
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