Smoking,drinkinganddruguseamongsecondaryschoolpupilshavemorethanhalvedoverthepast10years,figuresfromtheHealthandSocialCareInformationCentre(HSCIC)suggest.
Between2003and2013,regularsmokingfellfrom9%to3%of11-to15-year-olds.Regularalcoholdrinkingdroppedfrom25%to9%.Inthe2003survey,oneinfourschoolpupilssaidtheyhaddrunkalcoholinthepastweek.In2013,thefigurewasonein10.DeborahArnott,chiefexecutiveofhealthcharityAsh,saidsmokinglevelsamong15-year-oldswerenowwellbelowthegovernmenttargetof12%.Shesaidactiontakenbythegovernmenttobantobaccoadvertising,putlargerhealthwarningsonpacksandmakeallenclosedpublicplacessmoke-freehadmadeadifference.
“Butmoreneedstobedoneandplainstandardizedtobaccopacksaretheobviousnextstep,”shesaid.Fearsthatelectroniccigarettescouldbecomeagatewayintosmokingforyoungpeoplehavenotcomeintorealitysofar,sheadded.“Weneedtokeepmonitoringuseinyoungpeople,andmakesureadvertisingandpromotionofelectroniccigarettesdon’tappearattractivetothem.”
Thepercentageofpupilswhosaidtheysmokedatleastonecigaretteaweekin2003fellbytwo-thirds,to3%in2013.Theproportionofyoungpeoplewhosaidtheyhadtriedsmokinghalvedfrom42%in2003to22%in2013-thelowestlevelsincethesurveybeganin1982.
Whenpupilswereaskedwhatactivitieswereacceptableattheirage,theysaidusingillegaldrugswastheleastacceptable.Onlyonein20agreeditwasacceptabletotakecannabisonceaweek,whereasoneinfoursaiditwasacceptabletodrinkalcoholonceaweek.
KingsleyManning,chairmanoftheHSCIC,saidthereportprovidedencouragingevidencethatfeweryoungpeopleareregularlysmoking,drinkingorusingdrugs.“Ourreportwillbeofgreatinteresttoservicesforyoungpeople,policyleadersandthoseworkinginpublichealth.”
1.Howmanyregularalcoholdrinkersweretherein2013
A3%.
B25%.
C9%.
D12%.
2.Whatbroughttheregularsmokerstoafall
ATobaccoadvertisements.
BActionsbythegovernment.
CPlainstandardizedtobaccopacks.
DAttractionofelectroniccigarettes.
3.Whatactivitydidthepupilsthinkmostunacceptable
ATakingcannabisonceaweek.
BDrinkingalcoholonceaweek.
CSmokingelectroniccigarettes.
DTryingsmokingcigarettes.
4.Whatcanbeinferredfromthepassage
AElectroniccigarettesaremorelikelytoturnyoungpeopleintosmokers.
BPolicyleadersareinterestedintheHSCICreport.
CThoseworkinginpublichealthfearedthehealthoftheyoungpeople.