Smoking prevalence and consumption
- 15% of 15 year olds smoke regularly*
- 14% of 15 year old boys smoke regularly
- 16% of 15 year old girls smoke regularly
- 47% of 15 year olds have never smoked
- 51% of 15 year old regular smokers smoke 35 or more cigarettes in an average week
- 57% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from shops
- 16% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a van such as an ice cream or burger van
- 10% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a vending machine
- 43% of 15 year old regular smokers reported being given cigarettes by friends
- 41% of 15 year old regular smokers said they would like to give up smoking altogether
- 71% of 15 year old regular smokers had tried to give up smoking
- 67% of 15 year old regular smokers reported that it would be very difficult or fairly difficult to give up smoking
- 65% of 15 year old regular smokers had been smoking for more than one year
Family
- 74% of 15 year old regular smokers said that their family would either stop them smoking or persuade them to stop if they found out
- 93% of 15 year old non-smokers said that their family would either stop them smoking or persuade them to stop if they found out
- 66% of 15 year old regular smokers reported that at least one of their parents was a daily smoker
- 40% of 15 year old regular smokers reported that all or almost all of their friends also smoked
- 64% of 15 year old non-smokers reported that none or almost none of their friends smoked
- 90% of 15 year old regular smokers reported smoking often with friends
Friends and leisure activities
- 83% of 15 year old regular smokers reported that they hang around the streets weekly or more frequently
- 43% of 15 year old non-smokers reported that they hang around the streets weekly or more frequently
- 48% of 15 year old regular smokers reported doing a sport at least once a week
- 67% of 15 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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