The proportions of total deaths and premature adult mortality in 1979-1983, and of short-stay hospital admissions and bed-days in 1983, that were attributable to the smoking of tobacco were estimated in Western Australia by the use of aetiological fractions that had been derived from the published literature. Premature adult mortality was measured by the person-years of life that were lost from ages 15 to 69 years (PYLL 15-69). In men it was estimated that 25% of all deaths and 14% of PYLL 15-69 were attributable to smoking. In women the corresponding proportions were 15% of deaths and 8% of PYLL 15-69. The proportions of short-stay hospital bed-days that were attributable to smoking were estimated at 7% in men and 3% in women; for hospital admissions the estimates were 4% and 1% in men and women, respectively. In all, tobacco-related disease and injury accounted for around 1700 deaths and 7500 short-stay hospitalizations each year in a population of 1.4 million persons.