Tobacco use: young people smoking by age and gender

The Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) provides estimates of the proportion of under-16s in school who smoke, drink alcohol and/or use illegal drugs. In the most recent survey, carried out in 2010, it was estimated that 3% of 13-year-olds and 13% of 15-year-olds were regular smokers (usually smoking one or more cigarettes a week).

Chart 1 (view chart)
 Close  shows the percentages of 13- and 15-year-old pupils in Scotland who were regular smokers by gender for the years 1990 to 2010. As might be expected, smoking prevalence increases with age. Throughout most of this period, a higher percentage of girls than boys smoked. In the 2010 survey, 3% of 13-year-old girls and 3% of boys were regular smokers. Among 15-year-olds, 14% of girls and 11% of boys were regular smokers. The prevalence of regular smoking has reduced over recent years among both 13- and 15-year-olds.

The SALSUS reports that 40% of 13-year-olds and 42% of 15-year-olds who were regular smokers said they would like to give up smoking altogether. Most regular smokers (65% of 13-year-olds and 65% of 15-year-olds) had tried to give up smoking.