Teenage smoking rate at its lowest for 30 years

News Reporter

Wednesday 21 December 2011

THE rate of smoking among teenagers has fallen to its lowest level in almost 30 years, according to the latest Scottish adolescent health survey.

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Helen McArdle

However, the survey also indicates that, while alcohol consumption among 13 and 15-year-olds has dropped in the past two years, the number of youngsters who admit being drunk has crept up, while previous declines in illicit drug use among the age group – predominantly cannabis – have tailed off.

The 2010 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey, published yesterday, revealed that 3% of 13-year-olds and 13% of 15-year-olds smoked at least one cigarette a year. With the exception of peaks in the mid-1990s, teenage smoking in Scotland has been in steady decline for decades, but the latest figures mean it is now at its lowest level since the survey began in 1982. The trend was attributed to the smoking ban, advertising restrictions and the soaring cost of cigarettes. A standard pack of 20 now costs more than £6. Sheila Duffy, chief executive of tobacco control charity Ash, welcomed the figures but called for even tougher controls on marketing to limit cigarettes' appeal to youngsters. She said: "Tobacco companies are always on the lookout to attract new customers to replace those who quit or are killed by their product. To protect all of our children from tobacco we need to take away the last advertising opportunity for tobacco companies. "There is a wealth of evidence suggesting that young people are less attracted to cigarettes if we take away the branding and sell tobacco in plain packets, so that needs to be the next step."The call was echoed by Cancer Research UK, which cited brand recognition among youngsters – most regular smokers were able to name at least four makes – as evidence that loyalties were being built up at an early age. "Action is now needed to protect children and young people from the marketing of this highly addictive and seriously harmful product," Vicky Crichton, public affairs manager for Cancer Research UK, said. "Introducing plain packaging for tobacco products would help to prevent young people from starting what often becomes a habit of a lifetime. "Plain packaging means all cigarette packs would look the same, packaged in a standard shape without any branding, design or logo."Alcohol consumption among teenagers has also fallen compared to 2008, with 44% of 13-year-olds reporting they have had an alcoholic drink, compared to 52% in 2008. Drinking among 15-year-olds appeared to be in decline, with 77% having had a drink compared to 82% two years ago. However, more than half of 13-year-olds surveyed – 54% – admitted having been drunk at least once in the past year, with 76% of 15-year-olds having become inebriated through drink. Both figures were up 4% compared to 2008, although the authors of the study suggested this could be partly due to a change in the wording of the questionnaire from "really drunk" to "drunk". A fifth of 13-year-olds and 42% of 15-year-olds who had been drunk in the week prior to the survey said they had set out with the intention of getting drunk. More than half of 15-year-olds and 38% of 13-year-olds said that excessive drinking had resulted in at least one "alcohol-related incident" in the last year – ranging from fights and vomiting to hospitalisation or getting into trouble with the police. Dr Evelyn Gillan, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, blamed cheap alcohol for the problem. She said: "A young person receiving the average British pocket money of £5.89 can buy 8 litres of cider containing almost 34 units of alcohol – more than enough alcohol to kill them."l Separate figures issued by the Scottish Government showed that almost 97% of cancer patients started treatment within two months of an urgent referral.

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Teenage smoking rate at its lowest for 30 years

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