NEWS
NEWS
SMOKING AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN ENGLAND AT ALL TIME LOW
Smoking rates among young people in England are now the lowest on record , according to a new health survey published by the NHS . Fewer than 5 per cent of children aged between eight to 15 have smoked which is a fall of three-quarters since 2003 according to the annual survey of health trends . The large decrease in the numbers of young people smoking reflects far tighter restriction on tobacco sales , anti-smoking legislation and health awareness campaigns by the government and other bodies . This has had the net effect of introducing a cultural change away from smoking as being seen as a cool thing to do to it being socially unacceptable in many places where it was once widespread . For example , in the past ten years smoking has been banned in enclosed
BUT WE SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE
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IMPORTANCE OF CHANGES IN THE NATURE OF CHILDHOOD ; CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MEAN THAT TEENAGERS IN PARTICULAR SPEND THEIR TIME IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY COMPARED TO TEENAGERS 15 YEARS AGO . public spaces , the minimum age for tobacco sales has risen from 16 to 18 , tobacco products are no longer openly displayed in shops and graphic health warnings have been introduced . Family doctor Fiona Sim , a former chair of the Royal Society for Public Health , said the fall in the numbers of young people smoking reflected a general social trend adding : “ It is a societal issue that we are beginning to win on tobacco particularly .” Gillian Prior , is the head of health at the National Centre for Social Research , which carried out the survey of 8,034 adults and 5,714 children on behalf of the NHS . She said : “ Changes to the law mean that under-18s are prohibited from buying cigarettes and the Challenge 25 policy adopted by many retailers has meant that these laws are more rigorously enforced than they have been in the past . “ But we should not underestimate the importance of changes in the nature of childhood ; changes in technology and society mean that teenagers in particular spend their time in a very different way compared to teenagers 15 years ago .” Overall levels of smoking have fallen from 28 per cent down to 18 per cent according to the study . The Department of Health said : “ We are committed to helping people lead healthier lives so it is encouraging to see a decline in smoking rates .” Deborah Arnott , chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health ( ASH ), said : “ These results are encouraging and show the importance of having a clear strategy in place to tackle smoking . “ We have made great progress in reducing smoking , the leading cause of premature death and disability in this country . But we can ’ t rest on our laurels if we are to continue to drive down smoking rates .”
22 ISSUE 09 VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE