Smoking habits in Great Britain
Wednesday 12 March 2008 is National No Smoking Day. Here are some key facts about smoking habits in Great Britain. Use the related links on the right to find out more.
Most smokers want to give up
In 2006, 68 per cent of smokers who were asked said they wanted to give up. Nine in ten mentioned at least one health related reason for doing so. For smokers with children in the household, the belief that second-hand smoking could have a damaging effect on children's health was a motivation to stop, given by almost 40 per cent of both men and women.
Stop smoking services
Around 530,000 people set a quit date through NHS stop smoking services in England in 2004/05. When followed up four weeks later, 56 per cent were still not smoking. Success rates increased with age, from 39 per cent of those aged under 18 to 66 per cent of those aged 60 and over.
Lighting up when waking up
In 2006 16 per cent of smokers had their first cigarette within five minutes of waking. Heavy smokers were more likely than light smokers to smoke immediately on waking up, with 36 per cent of those smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day doing so, compared with 2 per cent of those smoking fewer than 10 a day.
How long can a smoker go without?
In 2006, 59 per cent of smokers felt that it would be difficult to go without smoking for a whole day.
Smoking and marriage
People who are married are less likely to smoke than others. This is the case for all age groups in 2006, except the youngest (where very few people are married). Among those aged 25 to 34, 34 per cent of those who were single and 35 per cent of those who were cohabiting were smokers, compared with only 21 per cent of those who were married.
Prevalence
There was a fall in the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking between 1998/99 and 2004/05, from 28 per cent to 25 per cent of people aged 16 and over.
Men versus women
In 2006, 23 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women were cigarette smokers, compared with the early 1970s when around 50 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women smoked. Male smokers smoked more cigarettes a day on average than female smokers. In each year since 1998/99, men smoked on average 15 cigarettes a day compared with 13 for women.
Girls smoke more than boys
In recent years girls have been more likely to smoke than boys. In 2004, 7 per cent of boys aged 11 to 15 in England were regular smokers (that is, they usually smoked at least one cigarette a week) compared with 10 per cent of girls.
Early 20s most likely to smoke
Since the early 1990s in Great Britain the prevalence of cigarette smoking has been higher among 20 to 24 year olds than in any other age groups.
Over 60s least likely to smoke
The over 60s are more likely than younger people to have smoked at some time in their lives. However, they are more likely than younger people to have given up, and only 12 per cent smoked in 2006, the smallest proportion for any age group.
35 to 59 age group smoke the most cigarettes
Both men and women smokers, aged 35 to 59 smoked the most. Male smokers in this age group smoked around 16 cigarettes a day, and women around 14 to 15 a day.
Fewer cigarettes smoked
The proportion of respondents smoking on average 20 or more cigarettes a day fell from 14 per cent of men in 1990 to 8 per cent in 2006 and from 9 per cent of women to 5 per cent.
Smokers and non-smokers
In 2004, 60 per cent of non-smokers questioned in 2004 said they would mind if other people smoked near them. Most smokers did say they modified their behaviour when with others; 67 per cent said they do not smoke when in a room with a child, while 45 per cent do not smoke when with adult non-smokers.
Hand-rolled cigarettes
In 1990/91, 18 per cent of male smokers and 2 per cent of female smokers said they smoked mainly hand-rolled cigarettes. By 2004/05 this had risen to 35 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.
Pipe smoking
Overall, 1 per cent of men in 2006 said they smoked a pipe and they were all almost aged 50 or over.
Cigar smoking
In 2006, 3 per cent of men smoked at least one cigar a month, compared with 34 per cent in 1974. In previous years, cigar smoking has not been related to age, but in 2006 there was a clear age difference with men aged 35 and over more likely than younger men to say they had a cigar at least once a month. A small proportion of women smoked cigars in 1974. Since the late 1970s the proportion has been so small that it is scarcely measurable.
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