Publication
Health Education Population Survey (HEPS): Update from 2004 Survey - Final Report
| Contents: | Summary 1. Introduction 2. Attitudes to own health 3. Physical activity 4. Diet 5. Smoking 6. Alcohol 7. Mental Health 8. Oral health 9. Sexual health 10. Cannabis legislation Appendix |
5. Smoking
Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of illness and premature death in Scotland and is a major risk factor for CHD and cancer, contributing to approximately 30% of all cancer deaths. Passive smoking also has health implications for non-smokers in terms of increased risk of CHD, lung cancer and asthma. For health education, the aims are to educate people about the harmful effects of smoking, to motivate and enable smokers to quit and to improve access to smoke free environments. In Scotland, preventative health education activities have focused on school age children and young people. For adults, the main efforts are around encouraging smokers to quit using a combination of media communications that publicise the services of the telephone helpline, Smokeline (since 1992) and extending the network of local smoking cessation services and the use of nicotine replacement therapy (since 1999). More recently (since 2003), educational efforts have turned to increasing awareness of the harmful effects of passive smoking and changing attitudes to, and the availability of, smoke-free environments.
5.1 Reported behaviour
In 2004 27% of respondents said they smoked cigarettes regularly. This seems to confirm the downward trend in self-reported behaviour over time (Figure 5.1). This general trend was supported by data from the Scottish Household Survey (ShoS).
Figure 5.1 Time trends in adult cigarette smoking behaviour (1996-2004)
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Base: all respondents (2004:1784)
Over time, there have been consistent social grade and depcat gradients in smoking. Figure 5.2 shows these figures for 2004.
Figure 5.2 Percentage of regular smokers by social grade/DEPCAT
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Base: all respondents 2004 (1784)
As in previous years, four in ten smokers were heavy smokers (20+ cigarettes a day), with 16% smoking less than ten cigarettes a day.
5.2 Motivation
Most regular smokers were motivated to quit smoking, with 53% having tried and a further 27% who would like to. Only 20% of smokers were not contemplating giving up. This shows no change over time. Heavy smokers were equally motivated, although only four in ten (41%) had already tried to quit.
Main points
- A clear social gradient in smoking patterns is apparent by social grade and deprivation, with respondents from social grade AB showing the lowest prevalence.
- There appears to be a decrease in smoking prevalence over time, down from a third in 1997 to just over a quarter (27%) in 2004. Whilst this seems to be backed up by the Scottish Household Survey, future years’ data will help to confirm this trend.
- Most regular smokers (80%) are motivated to cut down or quit smoking; there has been no significant change in levels of motivation over time.