Publication
Indicators for health education in Scotland; summary of findings from the 1996 Health Education Population Survey (HEPS)
Smoking
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of ill-health and premature death in Scotland and is a major risk factor for CVD. It is also considered to contribute to approximately 30% of all cancer deaths, and is directly implicated in at least 80% of lung cancer deaths. The key strategic aims for health education are set out in Towards a Non-Smoking Scotland (HEBS, 1995) and include educating people about the harmful effects of smoking, and motivating and enabling smokers to quit.
Motivation indicator: The proportion of smokers aged 16-74 who want or intend to cut down or stop smoking. |
When asked whether there were any changes they would like to make to improve their health, approximately two-thirds (65%) of smokers said they want to cut down or stop smoking, and 41% intend to do so in the next six months.
Motivation indicator: The proportion of smokers aged 16-74 who do not regard their smoking as a problem. |
Among respondents who smoked, 48% agreed with the statement that they did not regard their smoking as a problem.
Skills indicator: The proportion of smokers aged 16-74 would like to stop smoking but are not sure how to go about it. |
Forty six percent of smokers agreed that they were not sure how to go about stopping smoking.
Behaviour indicator: The proportion of people aged 16-74 who have cut down or stopped smoking during the past year. |
When asked what changes they had tried to make over the past year to improve their health, 21% of respondents said they had cut down or stopped smoking.
Indicator: The proportion of non-smokers aged 16-74 who never or seldom come into contact with people who are smoking. |
Among the non-smokers, 30% said they never or seldom come into contact with people who are smoking.