Smoking (Hansard, 18 October 1993)

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken by her Department over the last year towards the objectives stated in the Government White Paper "The Health of the Nation" to reduce smoking prevalence among British adults to 20 per cent. by the year 2000 and the level of smoking among 11 to 15-year-olds by 33 per cent. by 1994; and what further action her Department intends taking.

§ Mr. Sackville
Action to reduce smoking prevalence in adults and young people is tackled through a cross governmental approach. Measures taken this year include: a real increase of 4.7 per cent. in the total tax on cigarettes in the March 1993 Budget; the strengthening of laws on the labelling of tobacco products; full implementation of the new legislation on illegal sales of tobacco products to children; the continued development of anti-smoking health education campaigns; continuing progress to be made through voluntary means to encourage the introduction of policies on smoking in public places and workplaces; and the introduction of new arrangements so that all general practitioners wishing to receive payments for health promotion will need to provide advice and support to smokers.

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who currently smoke in the United Kingdom are girls.

§ Mr. Sackville
The 1992 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of smoking among secondary schoolchildren shows that for England, Wales and Scotland the following percentages of 11 to 15-year-olds who smoke on a regular basis are girls:

England—53 per cent.

Wales—51 per cent.

Percentage of regular smokers¹ aged 11–15 for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland⁴

1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992

England 11 13 10 8 10 10

Wales ²— 11 8 ⁵— 10 9

Scotland 15 16 12 ⁵— 12 11

Northern Ireland ⁵— ³14 11 5 12 ⁵—

Notes:

¹ "Regular Smokers" is defined as usually smoking at least one cigarette a week.

² Data are only available for England and Wales combined.

³ Northern Ireland survey first carried out in 1983.

⁴ The data are in respect of secondary schoolchildren aged 11 to 15—in the first to fifth form—in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and aged 12 to 15—in the first to fourth form—in Scotland.

⁵ not available.

32W
Scotland—56 per cent.
A separate survey has been carried out in Northern Ireland entitled "Smoking and Drinking Amongst 11–15 year olds in Northern Ireland". The latest survey, which was carried out in 1990, found that 53 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds who smoke on a regular basis are girls.
Copies of both reports are available in the Library.
Notes:

1. Caution is needed in interpreting these percentages as they are based on a relatively small sample.

2. "Regular smokers" are defined as usually smoking at least one cigarette a week.

3. The data are in respect of secondary schoolchildren aged 11 to 15—in the first to fifth form—in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and aged 12 to 15—in the first to fourth form—in Scotland.

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) men and (b) women died in the United Kingdom from smoking-related diseases, in each year from 1980.

§ Mr. Sackville
The statistics available are those for 1988, published in the Health Education Authority's report "The Smoking Epidemic", a copy of which is available in the Library. This estimated that in the United Kingdom about 79,000 men and 32,000 women died from smoking-related diseases.

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds in the United Kingdom currently smoke; and what was the percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who smoked in each year since 1980.

§ Mr. Sackville
The 1992 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of smoking among secondary schoolchildren provides the following figures for 11 to 15-year-olds who currently smoke in England, Wales and Scotland:

England—10 per cent.

Wales—9 per cent.

Scotland—11 per cent.

A separate survey has been carried out in Northern Ireland entitled "Smoking and Drinking Amongst 11–15 year olds in Northern Ireland". The latest survey which was carried out in 1990, found that 12 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds in Northern Ireland were regular smokers.
Copies of both reports are available in the Library.
The following data show the percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who smoke since 1982—when the biennial OPCS survey began. The Northern Ireland survey began in 1983 and a further survey took place three years later. Since 1986 the surveys have been carried out every four years.

Percentage of regular smokers¹ aged 11–15 for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland⁴
	1982	1984	1986	1988	1990	1992
England	11	13	10	8	10	10
Wales	²—	11	8	⁵—	10	9
Scotland	15	16	12	⁵—	12	11
Northern Ireland	⁵—	³14	11	5	12	⁵—
Notes:
¹ "Regular Smokers" is defined as usually smoking at least one cigarette a week.
² Data are only available for England and Wales combined.
³ Northern Ireland survey first carried out in 1983.
⁴ The data are in respect of secondary schoolchildren aged 11 to 15—in the first to fifth form—in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and aged 12 to 15—in the first to fourth form—in Scotland.
⁵ not available.