HC Deb 18 February 1998 vol 306 cc708-9W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the absolute changes in the incidence of(a) smoking and (b) smoking-related diseases by socio-economic classification in the past 20 years. [28816]

Ms Jowell

Information about the prevalence of smoking by socio-economic group between 1976 and 1996 is given in reports on the General Household Survey (GHS)1. Information for 1996 is given in the table.

Data on the incidence of all smoking-related diseases by socio-economic group are either not available centrally or could be provided only at disproportionate cost, however information on the incidence of lung cancer, one smoking-related disease, by social class between 1976 and 1989 has been published in "Population Tends 90"2.

Data on "deaths" from some smoking-related diseases (for example, lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease) by social class have been published in "Health Inequalities'. 1 Office for National Statistics. Living in Britain—Results from the 1994 General Household Survey, HMSO, London (1996). 2 Office for National Statistics, Incidence of Health of the Nation cancers by social class. Population Trends 90. The Stationery Office, London (1997). 3 Office for National Statistics. Health Inequalities—Decennial Supplement: DS15. The Stationery Office, London (1997).

Cigarette smoking amongst adults, by socio-economic group, and sex. Great Britain, 1996
Percentage
Men Women
Non-manual
Professional 12 11
Employers and managers 20 18
Intermediate and junior non-manual 24 28
Total non-manual 21 22
Manual
Skilled manual and own account non-professional 32 30
Semi-skilled manual and personal service 41 36
Unskilled manual 41 36
Total manual 36 33
All aged 16 and over 29 28

Notes:

1. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole figure.

2. Socio-economic group is coded according to the present job of those currently working and to the last job of those not currently working. Married women whose husbands were in the household are classified according to their husband's occupation. Members of the armed forces, persons in inadequately described occupations and all persons who have never worked have not been shown as separate categories but are included in the figures shown as totals.

Source:

ONS General Household Survey

Copies of all of these publications are available in the Library.

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