Teenage smoking and drinking rates drop

Thursday 26 February 2015

Fewer youngsters are taking up smoking and drinking, according to encouraging figures out today.

A survey of young people showed that in just over ten years, the number of 14-15 year olds who smoke has dropped by 35%, and the number in the same age group who had drank booze in the seven days leading up to the survey dropped from 54% to 16% between 1998 and 2014.

The figures have been welcomed by the Head of Health Improvement for Public Health, Martin Knight, who said that young people who didn’t take up bad habits like drinking and smoking were great signs for a population that was getting healthier.

He said: “It is particularly good to see the reductions in young people taking up smoking and starting drinking alcohol. These are behaviours that increase the risk of lung cancer and liver disease, both of which are mostly preventable and diseases that Jersey has significantly higher rates of.

“The health behaviours and lifestyles that we develop during our teenage years shape how we behave as adults. These smoking and drinking rates show promise for a future healthier Jersey population.”

The full results of the Young People’s Health Survey are out next month. The survey covered 86% of young people from ten to 15, and was conducted last Spring.

But excerpts of the data released today show that in a range of age groups, the signs are that the message about the danger of smoking and drinking is getting through.

The figures show:

• Regular and occasional smoking by 14-15 year olds has decreased from 35% in 2002 down to 12% in 2014.
• Smoking among 10-13 year olds is now as low as 1%.
• In 2010 9% of 14-15 year olds and 30% of 12-13 year olds had never tried alcohol; in 2014 this had increased to 20% and 52% respectively.
• Since 1998, 54% of 14-15 year olds had alcohol in the 7 days before the survey - this decreased to 16% in 2014.