Smoking prevalence and consumption
- 4% of 13 year olds are regular smokers*
- 4% of 13 year old girls are regular smokers
- 3% of 13 year old boys are regular smokers
- 75% of 13 year olds have never smoked
- 31% of 13 year old regular smokers smoke 35 or more cigarettes in an average week
- 42% of 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from shops
- 20% of 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a van such as an ice cream or burger van
- 13% 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a vending machine
- 56% of 13 year old regular smokers reported being given cigarettes by friends
- 49% of 13 year old regular smokers said they would like to give up smoking altogether
- 72% of 13 year old boys regular smokers had tried to give up smoking
- 63% of 13 year old regular smokers reported that it would be very difficult or fairly difficult to give up smoking
- 38% of 13 year old regular smokers had been smoking for more than one year
Family
- 75% of 13 year old regular smokers said that their family would either stop them smoking or persuade them not to smoke
- 94% of 13 year old non-smokers said that their family would either stop them smoking or persuade them to stop if they found out
- 80% of 13 year old regular smokers reported that at least one of their parents was a daily smoker
- 34% of 13 year old regular smokers reported that all or almost all of their friends also smoked
- 82% of 13 year old non-smokers reported that none or almost none of their friends smoked
- 81% of 13 year old regular smokers often smoke with friends
Friends and leisure activities
- 88% of 13 year old regular smokers reported that they hang around the streets weekly
- 46% of 13 year old non-smokers reported that they hang around the streets weekly or more frequently
- 53% of 13 year old regular smokers reported doing a sport at least once a week
- 74% of 13 year old non-smokers reported doing a sport at least once a week
*regular smoking is classed as smoking 1 or more cigarettes per week
Source: NHS Scotland and National Statistics. 2009. Scottish schools adolescent lifestyle and substance use survey (SALSUS) national report: smoking, drinking and drug use among 13 and 15 year olds in Scotland in 2008 [online] Edinburgh: ISD Scotland. Available from: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/abstracts/salsus_national08.htm [accessed 24 June 2009]
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