The Information Centre for Health and Social Care has come out with results from its survey of under 16s, under which 8200 students of different schools in UK were quizzed.
It was seen that one in ten secondary students aged 11 to 15 light up daily. The research also claimed that surprisingly, it was girls who outnumbered boys in smoking. Government’s targets are aimed at reducing smoking in school children to less than 9 percent in the next three years.It was also reported that drinking was maintaining its downward slide with the present proportion of school going drinkers at 21 percent, in contrast with 26 percent, in 2001.
There was a decline in the number who said they had taken drugs in the last year, down 2 percent , which was 17 percent from 19 percent in 2005. Another 9 percent admitted they had taken drugs in the last month - also lower than the proportion that had done so in 2005.
Says Caroline Flint the public health minister: "This survey has revealed some very encouraging results.
"This demonstrates that our policies are having a real impact in terms of tackling substance misuse amongst young people.
"Despite these promising figures, we are not complacent - just one young person smoking or misusing alcohol or drugs is one too many." Flint added that a campaign was promised to raise awareness of sensible drinking.
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