Scottish Health Survey 2012 - volume 1: main report

4. Smoking

Linsay Gray and Alastair H Leyland

Summary

• In 2012, one in four adults (aged 16 and above) was a current cigarette smoker. No difference was found between men and women (25% and 24% respectively), although smoking did vary by age, with the highest rate among adults aged 25 to 44 (29%).
• Smoking prevalence among those aged 16 to 64 declined between 1995 and 2012 (from 35% to 27%). The decline has been steeper for women (from 36% to 26%) than for men (from 34% to 28%).
• There has also been a decline in smoking among all adults aged 16 and above since 2003 (from 28% to 25% in 2012).
• Smokers smoked an average of 13.5 cigarettes per day in 2012 (14.7 for men and 12.4 for women). The average number smoked rose with age from 8.9 among those aged 16-24 to 16.0 among those aged 55-64, after which it fell to 11.7 among those aged 75 and over.
• The average number of cigarettes smoked per day has declined over time. In 1995 male smokers (aged 16 to 64) smoked an average of 18.1 per day; by 2012 this was 14.7. The equivalent figures for women were 15.4 and 12.3 respectively.
• The decline in the average number of cigarettes smoked was also evident for all adults aged 16 and above. In 2003 adults smokers smoked an average of 15.3 cigarettes per day; by 2012, this was 13.5.
• In 2012 one in six (17%) non-smoking adults (aged 16 and over) were exposed to second-hand smoke in their own or someone else's home and 16% reported exposure in a public place. Of the public places asked about, reported exposure was greatest outside buildings (e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals) reported by 11% of non-smoking adults.
• There was a decrease in exposure to second-hand smoke in the home among adults aged 16 to 74, from 33% in 1998 to 18% in 2012. Most of this decline occurred between 1998 and 2008, with figures relatively stable since then. The questionnaire was updated in 2012 so trends in second-hand smoke exposure in public places cannot be reported.
• One in five (19%) children under 16 were living in households where someone smokes within the home. This varied with age, with the youngest (those under 2) having the lowest prevalence (8%), compared with around a fifth of those aged between 2 and 15. A lower proportion, 12%, reported being exposed to smoke in the home, indicating that some efforts had been taken to minimise children's direct exposure to smoke.
• In 2012, 13% of adults lived in households where there was no restriction placed on smoking indoors; 15% lived in households where smoking was permitted indoors but only in certain areas or rooms; most (59%) lived in a household where smoking indoors was not permitted; and 13% lived in a household where smoking was not permitted either indoors or outdoors.
• The equivalent figures for children under 16 were: 4% lived in households where there were no restrictions on smoking indoors; 15% in households where smoking was allowed indoors but only in certain areas or rooms; 68% in households where smoking indoors was not permitted; and 13% in households where smoking was not allowed indoors or outdoors.
• Almost three in four (73%) smokers reported that they would like to quit. Smokers aged 35 to 54 were the most likely to say they wanted to quit (82 to 84%). 38% of smokers had attempted to quit once or twice in their lifetime and 41% had tried to do this on three or more occasions. The number of quit attempts increased broadly in line with age (from 22% at age 18-24 to half of those aged 55-64).
• In 2012, four in ten smokers and recent ex-smokers had used NRT during the three months prior to interview. Women were more likely to have used NRT than men (42% and 38% respectively).
• Of the NRT products used, nicotine skin patches were the most commonly reported (27%). This was followed by nicotine gum (11%) and nasal sprays/nicotine inhalers (10%). Use of lozenges/microtabs and prescription-based treatments was less common (ranging between 2% and 6%).

4.1 Introduction

Cigarette smoking is the world's leading cause of preventable poor health and premature death^[72]. In Scotland, tobacco use is associated with over 13,000 deaths (around a quarter of all deaths) and around 56,000 hospital admissions every year^[73]. Although smoking prevalence in Scotland has decreased gradually over time, from over 30% in 1999 to 23.3% in 2011^[74], reducing smoking further remains a priority for improving health in Scotland.

The Scottish Government's refreshed National Performance Framework, published in December 2011, has two indicators relevant to smoking^[75]. There is a specific indicator on reducing the proportion of adults who are current smokers, as well as a more general indicator on reducing premature mortality (deaths from all causes in those aged under 75)^[76] for which smoking is a significant contributory factor.

Recent steps to tackle tobacco use in Scotland include the introduction of a ban on smoking in public places in 2006, the raising of the legal age for buying tobacco from 16 to 18 in 2007, banning the sale of tobacco from automatic vending machines in 2013 and phased banning of tobacco displays in shops from 2013. In addition, one of NHS Scotland's HEAT targets^[77] concerns the provision of smoking cessation services and the achievement of 80,000 successful 'quits', with a particular focus on the 40% most-deprived areas. This target is due for delivery in March 2014^[78].

Most recently, the Scottish Government launched an ambitious five year Tobacco Control Strategy in March 2013^[79], outlining the intention to create a 'tobacco-free generation' (defined as 'a smoking prevalence among the adult population of 5% or lower') by the year 2034. The strategy sets out a range of measures across the themes of:

• Health inequalities - reducing smoking prevalence in the most deprived areas
• Prevention - creating an environment where young people choose not to smoke
• Protection - protecting people from second-hand smoke
• Cessation - helping people to stop smoking

There are 46 actions outlined in the Strategy, including:

• Local authorities and NHS Boards working with partners in the voluntary sector and local communities to develop local tobacco control plans.
• Identification of the most appropriate legislative option for introducing the standardised packaging of tobacco products.
• A pilot of the peer-led ASSIST programme on smoking prevention among young people.
• All NHS Boards implementing and enforcing smoke-free grounds by March 2015.
• A review of smoking cessation services in Scotland which will include the development of specific recommendations on delivering services that are person-centred and that support the needs of people living in deprived areas and other groups where tobacco use plays a key role in unequal health outcomes.
• Development of a successor to the current HEAT target for smoking cessation, which ends in 2014, with a specific focus on inequalities.
• A national awareness campaign about second-hand smoke in enclosed spaces.
• The introduction of advice on creating a smoke-free home as a feature of all ante- and post-natal services and adoption, foster, kinship and residential care services.
• The development of a target for achieving a substantial reduction in children's exposure to second-hand smoke by 2020, using baseline data provided by the 2012 Scottish Health Survey.

Good quality data on smoking behaviour and exposure to second-hand smoke are important to monitoring trends relevant to the Strategy. The SHeS data presented in this chapter complement the data provided by the Scottish Household Survey which is used to measure the current NPF indicator on reducing smoking amongst adults. The chapter presents figures for prevalence of smoking among adults aged 16 and over; for behaviours related to stopping smoking; and for non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke. Trends from 1995 onwards and prevalence estimates are presented by sex.

4.2 Methods And Definitions

4.2.1 Questions on smoking

Questions on smoking have been included on SHeS since 1995. The small changes introduced to the questionnaire in 2008 are outlined in the 2008 annual report^[80].

The current questions in the survey focus on:

• current smoking status
• frequency and pattern of current smoking
• the number of cigarettes smoked by current smokers
• ex-smokers' previous smoking history
• exposure to second-hand smoke
• past smoking behaviour
• desire to give up smoking
• medical advice on giving up smoking.

The question about non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke was updated in 2012 to ask about exposure outside buildings (e.g. shops, pubs and hospitals), and in cars, while the questions about public transport and pubs were dropped in light of the very low prevalence of exposure reported in these places (following the ban on smoking in these locations). In 2012 a new question was also added on rules relating to smoking within the home (see Section 4.4.4).

Children's exposure to second-hand smoke in the home is presented using two measures. The first reports whether there is someone who regularly smokes inside the accommodation where they live. The second is based on parents' and older children's (aged 13-15) reports of whether children are exposed to smoke at home.

4.2.2 Methods of data collection

Information about cigarette smoking is collected from adults aged 16 and 17 by means of a self-completion questionnaire which offers them the privacy to answer without disclosing their smoking behaviour in front of other household members. For adults aged 20 and over information is collected as part of the main interview. Those aged 18 and 19, at the interviewer's discretion, can answer the questions either in the self-completion booklet or as part of the main interview. The self-completion and main interview questions are mostly similar. However the main self-completion questionnaire for young adults excludes questions on: past smoking behaviour, desire to give up smoking and medical advice to stop smoking.

4.2.3 Definitions

The tables reported in this chapter use the following classifications of smoking status:

• Current smoking status: current smoker, ex-regular smoker, never regular smoker/never smoked at all.
• Mean number of cigarettes smoked by current smokers: this is measured as number per smoker per day.

4.3 Smoking Prevalence

4.3.1 Trends in smoking prevalence since 1995

Estimates for current smoking status - current cigarette smoker, ex-regular cigarette smoker and never regular cigarette smoker/never smoked at all - along with the number of cigarettes smoked per day from 1995 to 2012 are shown in Table 4.1.

Since 1995, smoking prevalence among adults aged 16 to 64 has decreased. Around a third (35%) of adults under the age of 65 were current smokers in 1995, and by 2012 this had fallen to 27%. The proportion of men smoking cigarettes declined from 34% to 28% during this period; the decline for women was steeper (from 36% to 26%). Levels have remained relatively steady for both men and women since 2008, ranging from 27% to 29% for men and 26% to 28% for women during this period.

The decline in smoking prevalence was coupled with an increase in the proportion of adults (aged 16 to 64) who had never smoked or had never been regular smokers. Levels rose from 49% in 1995 to 57% in 2011 and 55% in 2012. There has been little change, over time, in prevalence of ex-regular smokers. The proportion reporting to be an ex-regular smoker in 2012 - one in six (17%) - was the same as in 1995.

The trend in smoking prevalence for all adults (aged 16 years and over) since 2003 was consistent with that discussed above for those under 65. In 2003, 28% of adults smoked and by 2012 this had dropped to 25%. For both men and women, the smoking rate declined by four percentage points over this period (from 29% to 25% and 28% to 24% respectively). Between 2011 and 2012 there was no significant change in smoking prevalence among all adults (23% and 25% respectively).

Along with a drop in the proportion of smokers, the mean number of cigarettes smoked also decreased over the years. For male smokers aged 16 to 64 years, the mean number of cigarettes smoked dropped from 18.1 cigarettes per day in 1995 to 14.7 in 2012. The equivalent figures for women were 15.4 cigarettes in 1995 and 12.3 cigarettes in 2012. The downward trend in mean cigarette consumption was also evident among all adults aged 16 years and over. In 2003, adult smokers smoked an average of 15.3 cigarettes per day. The equivalent figure in 2012 was 13.5 cigarettes with little change seen in more recent years. Table 4.1

4.3.2 Smoking prevalence, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.2 and Figures 4A and 4B show 2012 cigarette smoking status estimates for men and women by age. In 2012, one in every four adults was a current cigarette smoker, 22% were ex-regular smokers and 54% had either never smoked cigarettes at all or had never smoked them regularly.

While there was no significant difference in the smoking status of men and women, the proportion of current smokers did vary by age for both genders. Among men, smoking prevalence was highest for those aged 35-44 (32%), while for women, those aged 25-34 (28%) and 55-64 (28%) were the most likely to smoke cigarettes. For both genders, prevalence was lowest for the oldest age group (those aged 75 and over) with 7% of men and 10% of women in this age group classified as current smokers. Prevalence among the key young adult group (those aged 16 to 24) was 25%, in line with the rate for all adults.

As might be expected, older people were most likely to be ex-regular smokers with prevalence rising from 5% among those aged 16-24 to 35% for those aged 75 years and over. In tandem with this, the youngest age groups were most likely to report having never been a regular cigarette smoker (74% of men and 67% of women aged 16-24).

Smokers in 2012 smoked an average of 13.5 cigarettes per day. Male smokers smoked an average of 2.3 cigarettes more per day than female smokers (means of 14.7 and 12.4 cigarettes per day respectively). Mean daily cigarette consumption followed a non-linear pattern across the age groups: those aged 16-24 smoked 8.9 cigarettes per day, rising steadily to 16.0 for those aged 55-64 before falling back to 11.7 cigarettes for those aged 75 and over. Figure 4A, Figure 4B, Table 4.2

Figure 4A Men's cigarette smoking status, 2012, by age

Figure 4B Women's cigarette smoking status, 2012, by age

4.4 Exposure To Second-Hand Smoke

4.4.1 Trends in adult exposure to second-hand smoke since 1998

Trends in the proportion of adult non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke are shown in Table 4.3. Figures are presented for adults aged 16 to 74 from 1998 onwards and for all adults (aged 16 and above) from 2003. As noted in section 4.2, questionnaire changes introduced in 2012 mean that some trends can no longer be reported (though the figures up to 2011 are still reported in Table 4.3).

It is clear that, since 1998, exposure to second-hand smoke (among those aged 16 to 74) has markedly decreased across the range of different environments asked about. In 1998, a third of non-smokers aged 16 to 74 reported being exposed to tobacco smoke in their own or in others' homes but by 2011 this had more than halved to 15%, with a slight, but insignificant, increase in 2012, to 18%. Occupational exposure also fell from 23% for men and 14% for women in 1998 to 6% for men and 3% for women in 2012. Most of the decline in exposure in these areas occurred between 1998 and 2008, with the figures relatively stable since then.

Changes to the questionnaire mean trends in exposure on public transport and in pubs are only available up until 2011. Between 1998 and 2011 public transport exposure fell from 7% for men and 8% for women to less than 0.5%. The trends for exposure in pubs were stark (falling from 44% for men and 30% for women in 1998 to 1% or less for men and women from 2008 onward) with the greatest drop between 2003 and 2008.

The decline in second-hand smoke exposure in any public places among non-smokers aged 16 to 74 between 1998 and 2011 was even more pronounced (from 50% to 8%) than that for exposure to smoke in the home, with the greatest drop observed in 2008 (the first point data were collected after the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places). By 2011, 77% of non-smokers (aged 16 to 74) reported that they were not exposed to second-hand smoke in any of the environments asked about, an increase of 41 percentage points since 1998. This trend does not extend to 2012 due to questionnaire changes. In future years the trend on exposure to smoke in any public place will be based on 2012 onwards.

Overall, since 2003, the trends in exposure to second-hand smoke for all non-smoking adults (aged 16 and over) were very similar to those described above for non-smokers aged 16 to 74 years. Again, the most pronounced decreases in tobacco exposure occurred between 2003 and 2008 (pre and post the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places) with very little change in exposure levels since 2008.

In 2012, 16% of those aged 16 and above were exposed to tobacco in a public place (defined as: own home, other people's homes, in cars/vans, outside buildings, at work, or in other public places). Table 4.3

4.4.2 Adult exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

The proportions of non-smoking adults (aged 16 and above) exposed to second-hand smoke in various locations (at their own/other's home, at work, or in public places) in 2012 are shown by age and sex in Table 4.4, and Figure 4C. While the majority (70%) were not exposed to smoke in any of the places asked about, significant minorities still reported being exposed to second-hand smoke in some environments.

In 2012, one in five (17%) non-smoking adults were exposed to second-hand smoke either in their own or someone else's home. A similar proportion (16%) reported exposure in a public place. As mentioned above, in 2012, new options (outside buildings and in cars/vans) were added. Of the public places asked about, reported exposure was greatest outside buildings (e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals) with around one in ten (11%) reporting this (11% of men and 12% of women). Just 2% of adults reported exposure to smoke in cars/vans.

Patterns in exposure to second-hand smoke were generally similar among non-smoking males and females. The workplace was the only location where a consistent difference was apparent, with men twice as likely as women to be exposed to second-hand smoke while at work (6% compared with 3%).

Figure 4C Proportion of non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at own/other's home, at work, or in public places, 2012, by age and sex

As in previous years, there were also some variations to non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke by age, with exposure generally greater among younger non-smokers. For example, 31% of non-smokers aged 16-24 were exposed to second-hand smoke in some public space, compared with just 4% of those aged 75 and older. Further, 19% in the youngest age group were exposed to second-hand smoke outside buildings such as pubs, shops and hospitals compared with 3% of the oldest non-smokers. Exposure to second-hand smoke in the home (own or someone else's) declined with age, with those aged 16-24 four times more likely than those aged 75 and over to report such exposure (34% compared with 8%).

Although no other strong patterns were apparent, there were some differences by sex within the different age groups; most notably, in the 16-24 age group, the proportion of women exposed to second-hand smoke in their own home was double that for men (20% compared with 10%). Figure 4C, Table 4.4

4.4.3 Child exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.5 presents two measures of children's exposure to second-hand smoke. The first is based on whether or not anyone smokes inside the child's home. In 2012, the majority (81%) of children (aged 0 to 15) were living in homes where no-one smoked inside. One in five (19%) were, however, living in homes where people smoked (19% of boys and 18% of girls).

The second measure in the table is directly reported exposure to smoke in the home (parents of children aged 0 to 12 reported on their behalf). While 19% of children live in a home where someone regularly smokes inside, a lower proportion, 12%, were reported to be exposed to smoke at home. This suggests that steps had been taken to minimise some children's direct exposure to smoke, although the evidence indicates that even if smoking does not take place when a child is present, they will still be exposed to environmental pollutants as a result of smoke particles contaminating the air, dust and surfaces of the home^[81]. The health consequences of such exposures are, as yet, unclear^[82].

On both measures of exposure to second-hand smoke in the home varied, by age group, for both boys and girls. The youngest age group (those aged under 2) had the lowest levels of exposure with 8% living in a home where someone smoked inside, and 3% reported to be exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke. Prevalence of both measures was considerably higher among the remaining age groups. Between 18% and 24% of children aged 2 to 15 lived in a house where someone smoked inside, while reported exposure to smoke at home increased from 8%-9% in children aged 2-6, to 16%-17% for those aged 10 and over. Table 4.5

4.4.4 Household smoking rules, 2012, by age and sex

In 2012, for the first time, SHeS included a question on smoking rules in the home. The participant who answered the household questionnaire was provided with four different rules around smoking in the home and was asked to select the option that best described the rule that applied in their home. Table 4.6 shows household smoking rules for adults (aged 16 and over) by age and sex, and for children aged 0 to 15, for 2012.

Overall, in 2012, 13% of adults lived in a household with no restrictions placed on smoking indoors; for one in six (15%), smoking was permitted indoors but only in certain areas or rooms; while the majority (59%) lived in households in which smoking indoors was not permitted. For the remaining 13% smoking was not allowed indoors or outdoors.

Rules varied somewhat by sex and age, but with no obvious pattern. For instance, men were slightly more likely than women to live in homes with no restrictions on where people could smoke (15% compared with 11%). Those aged 75 and over were most likely to live in homes with no restrictions on smoking (19% compared with 10% to 16% for other age groups). However, this age group were also most likely to live in homes where smoking was not permitted indoors or outdoors (18%). Those aged 25 to 44 were most likely to live in homes where smoking indoors was prohibited (63% to 64%).

In 2012, 4% of children under 16 lived in a household with no restrictions placed on smoking indoors. For 15%, smoking was permitted indoors but only in certain areas or rooms. Most (68%) lived in households where smoking indoors was not permitted. Smoking was not allowed indoors or outdoors for the remaining 13%. Table 4.6

4.5 Smoking Cessation Status, 2012, By Age And Sex

Attempts to stop smoking are shown in Figure 4D by age, and in Table 4.7 by age and sex. In 2012, when asked, the majority (73%) of smokers said they would like to quit. Over a third (38%) reported that they had attempted to quit smoking once or twice, while 41% had tried on three or more occasions. There was little variation in male and female smokers' desires to stop smoking or in the number of attempts they had made to quit. There were, however, some varying patterns in cessation status by age.

The desire to quit was greatest among those in the middle age groups (aged 35 to 54) with more than eight in ten (82% to 84%) of this age group reporting that they would like to stop. Those in the youngest and oldest age groups were least likely to want to quit (64% for those aged 18-24 and 59% for those aged 65-74) although the sample sizes for both these groups were quite small.

As might be expected, quit attempts broadly increased in line with age, with half of those aged 55-64 reporting at least three attempts to quit (compared with 22% of those aged 19-24). Younger smokers (under age 35) were most likely to have made no attempt to quit (30% to 42%), although even among this age group, a third had made at least one attempt to quit (35% to 36%). Figure 4D, Table 4.7

Figure 4D Cigarette smokers' quit attempts, 2012, by age

4.6 Use Of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, 2012, By Age And Sex

The 2012 estimates of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use among smokers/recent ex-smokers (those who had given up within the previous year) in the three months preceding the interview are shown in Table 4.8 by age and sex. Estimates are given both for use of NRT overall and type of NRT product used.

Overall, four in ten smokers and recent ex-smokers had used NRT during the three months prior to interview, with women significantly more likely than men to have done so (42% and 38% respectively). There was only limited variation in NRT use by age. NRT use was highest among the 45-54 age group (47%) and lowest (32%) among the oldest age group (those aged 75 years and over). Note, however, there is some uncertainty around the estimate for the 75 and over age group because of the low numbers in this age group.

Nicotine skin patches were the most commonly reported type of NRT used (27%). Twenty-four percent of male and 30% of female smokers/recent ex-smokers said they had used a skin patch in the last three months. Nicotine gum and nasal spray/nicotine inhalers were also fairly common (11% and 10% respectively). Use of lozenges/microtabs (4%) and the prescription-based treatments Champix/Varenicline and Zyban/Bupropion (6% and 2%) was lower.

Variation in use of specific types of NRT did not generally follow any particular age-related pattern. The exceptions were nasal spray/nicotine inhalers which tended to be more popular among the younger age groups, and prescription-based treatments which tended to be more common among those aged 45 to 64. Table 4.8

Table list

Table 4.1 Cigarette smoking status, 1995 to 2012

Table 4.2 Cigarette smoking status, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.3 Non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke, 1998 to 2012

Table 4.4 Non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.5 Children's exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.6 Smoking rules in household, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.7 Quit attempts by smokers, and whether would like to quit smoking, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.8 NRT use, 2012, by age and sex

Table 4.1 Cigarette smoking status, 1995 to 2012

Aged 16 and over	1995 to 2012
Cigarette smoking status	1995	1998	2003	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
Current cigarette smokera
16-64	34	36	32	29	28	29	27	28
16+	n/a	n/a	29	27	25	26	24	25
Ex-regular cigarette smoker
16-64	18	18	19	19	19	18	18	17
16+	n/a	n/a	24	24	24	24	23	23
Never regular cigarette smoker/never smoked at all
16-64	49	46	49	51	53	53	55	55
16+	n/a	n/a	47	49	51	50	52	52
Mean per current smoker per day
16-64	18.1	17.6	15.9	15.6	15.2	14.6	14.2	14.7
16+	n/a	n/a	15.9	15.7	15.4	14.8	14.3	14.7
Standard error of the mean
16-64	0.31	0.29	0.35	0.49	0.44	0.46	0.38	0.52
16+	n/a	n/a	0.33	0.46	0.41	0.43	0.35	0.48
Women
Current cigarette smokera
16-64	36	33	31	28	27	28	26	26
16+	n/a	n/a	28	25	25	25	22	24
Ex-regular cigarette smoker
16-64	16	16	17	19	17	19	17	18
16+	n/a	n/a	20	22	20	21	20	21
Never regular cigarette smoker / never smoked at all
16-64	49	51	52	53	56	54	58	56
16+	n/a	n/a	53	53	55	54	57	55
Mean per current smoker per day
16-64	15.4	15.2	14.8	13.6	13.5	13.3	13.2	12.3
16+	n/a	n/a	14.7	13.7	13.4	13.1	13.3	12.4
Standard error of the mean
16-64	0.21	0.24	0.29	0.33	0.30	0.29	0.33	0.43
16+	n/a	n/a	0.27	0.31	0.27	0.27	0.30	0.40
All adults
Current cigarette smokera
16-64	35	35	31	29	28	28	26	27
16+	n/a	n/a	28	26	25	25	23	25
Ex-regular cigarette smoker
16-64	17	17	18	19	18	18	17	17
16+	n/a	n/a	22	23	22	23	22	22
Never regular cigarette smoker / never smoked at all
16-64	49	48	51	52	54	54	57	55
16+	n/a	n/a	50	51	53	52	55	54
Mean per current smoker per day
16-64	16.7	16.4	15.3	14.6	14.3	13.9	13.7	13.5
16+	n/a	n/a	15.3	14.7	14.4	13.9	13.8	13.5
Standard error of the mean
16-64	0.19	0.19	0.26	0.31	0.29	0.28	0.28	0.36
16+	n/a	n/a	0.24	0.28	0.26	0.26	0.26	0.34
Cigarette smoking status	1995	1998	2003	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Bases (weighted):
Men 16-64	3901	3937	3156	2520	2916	2795	2926	1868
Men 16+	n/a	n/a	3819	3066	3560	3422	3581	2292
Women 16-64	3994	3966	3307	2618	3047	2925	3045	1939
Women 16+	n/a	n/a	4267	3348	3905	3750	3906	2489
All adults 16-64	7895	7903	6463	5138	5962	5720	5971	3807
All adults 16+	n/a	n/a	8086	6413	7465	7173	7487	4780
Bases (unweighted):
Men 16-64	3523	3356	2749	2072	2387	2273	2409	1510
Men 16+	n/a	n/a	3582	2829	3265	3092	3263	2119
Women 16-64	4406	4194	3442	2679	3198	3067	3162	1963
Women 16+	n/a	n/a	4514	3600	4227	4109	4243	2677
All adults 16-64	7929	7550	6191	4751	5585	5340	5571	3473
All adults 16+	n/a	n/a	8096	6429	7492	7201	7506	4796
a Current cigarette smoker excludes those who reported only smoking cigars or pipes

Table 4.2 Cigarette smoking status, 2012, by age and sex

Aged 16 and over	2012
Cigarette smoking status	Age							Total
	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
Current cigarette smokera	25	30	32	27	27	18	7	25
Ex-regular cigarette smoker	2	13	18	22	28	47	48	23
Never regular cigarette smoker/never smoked at all	74	57	51	51	45	35	45	52
Mean per current smoker per day	[8.9]	12.9	15.9	16.3	18.4	15.9	*	14.7
Standard error of the mean	[1.49]	1.16	0.94	0.78	1.04	1.17	*	0.48
Women
Current cigarette smokera	25	28	27	24	28	19	10	24
Ex-regular cigarette smoker	8	14	20	20	26	35	27	21
Never regular cigarette smoker/never smoked at all	67	58	54	56	46	46	63	55
Mean per current smoker per day	8.9	10.4	12.6	14.7	13.8	13.1	[12.1]	12.4
Standard error of the mean	0.86	0.86	0.87	0.83	0.85	1.20	[1.25]	0.40
All adults
Current cigarette smokera	25	29	29	26	27	18	9	25
Ex-regular cigarette smoker	5	14	19	21	27	41	35	22
Never regular cigarette smoker/never smoked at all	70	58	52	54	46	41	56	54
Mean per current smoker per day	8.9	11.7	14.3	15.5	16.0	14.4	[11.7]	13.5
Standard error of the mean	0.98	0.72	0.63	0.58	0.74	0.87	1.05	0.34
Bases (weighted):
Men	322	383	380	420	362	251	173	2292
Male smokers	78	113	116	110	93	42	13	564
Women	311	376	414	454	383	287	263	2489
Female smokers	74	104	110	109	106	52	26	582
All adults	633	760	795	874	745	539	435	4780
All smokers	151	217	227	219	199	94	39	1146
Bases (unweighted):
Men	163	228	346	409	364	385	224	2119
Male smokers	43	67	103	111	86	59	15	484
Women	219	329	474	498	443	388	326	2677
Female smokers	52	93	123	117	112	61	30	588
All adults	382	557	820	907	807	773	550	4796
All smokers	95	160	226	228	198	120	45	1072
a Current cigarette smoker excludes those who reported only smoking cigars or pipes

Table 4.3 Non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke, 1998 to 2012

Non-smokers aged 16 and over	1998 to 2012
Exposure to second-hand smokea	1998	2003	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
In own home
16-74	18	15	10	9	9	8	7
16+	n/a	14	10	9	8	8	7
In other people's home
16-74	21	16	12	10	11	10	11
16+	n/a	15	11	9	10	9	10
At work
16-74	23	16	6	6	6	5	6
16+	n/a	15	5	5	5	5	6
On public transport
16-74	7	6	1	1	0	0	n/a
16+	n/a	6	1	0	0	0	n/a
In pubs
16-74	44	42	1	1	1	1	n/a
16+	n/a	39	1	1	1	1	n/a
Outside buildings, e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals
16-74	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	12
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	11
In cars / vans
16-74	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	2
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	2
In other public places
16-74	25	26	6	5	7	8	8
16+	n/a	25	6	5	6	7	7
In own or other's home
16-74	31	24	19	18	17	16	17
16+	n/a	24	18	17	16	15	16
In any public place (98-11)b
16-74	55	52	7	7	7	8	n/a
16+	n/a	49	7	6	7	8	n/a
Not exposed to smoke in these places (98-11)c
16-74	33	37	73	74	75	75	n/a
16+	n/a	39	75	76	76	77	n/a
In any public place (12 onwards)d
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	16
Not exposed to smoke in these places (12 onwards)e
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	69
Women
In own home
16-74	18	13	10	8	8	6	9
16+	n/a	13	9	8	8	6	8
In other people's home
16-74	25	21	13	13	14	10	13
16+	n/a	19	12	12	12	9	11
At work
16-74	14	9	2	3	2	3	3
16+	n/a	8	2	3	2	2	3
On public transport
16-74	8	6	0	1	0	0	n/a
16+	n/a	5	0	1	0	0	n/a
In pubs
16-74	30	32	0	1	0	1	n/a
16+	n/a	28	0	1	0	0	n/a
Outside buildings, e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals
16-74	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	13
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	12
In cars / vans
16-74	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	2
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	2
In other public places
16-74	28	28	6	6	7	7	8
16+	n/a	26	5	5	6	7	8
In own or other's home
16-74	35	29	21	19	19	14	19
16+	n/a	27	19	18	18	14	17
In any public place (98-11)b
16-74	46	46	6	7	8	8	n/a
16+	n/a	42	6	6	7	7	n/a
Not exposed to smoke in these places (98-11)c
16-74	39	43	75	75	75	78	n/a
16+	n/a	47	77	77	77	79	n/a
In any public place (12 onwards)d
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	16
Not exposed to smoke in these places (12 onwards)e
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	70
All adults
In own or other's home
16-74	33	27	20	19	18	15	18
16+	n/a	25	18	17	17	14	17
In any public place (98-11)b
16-74	50	48	7	7	7	8	n/a
16+	n/a	45	6	6	7	8	n/a
Not exposed to smoke in these places (98-11)c
16-74	36	40	74	75	75	77	n/a
16+	n/a	43	76	76	77	78	n/a
In any public place (12 onwards)d
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	16
Not exposed to smoke in these places (12 onwards)e
16+	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	70
Bases (weighted):
Men 16-74	2897	2476	1950	2429	2302	2464	1550
Men 16+	n/a	2695	2137	2655	2524	2707	1709
Women 16-74	3077	2677	2197	2574	2474	2648	1662
Women 16+	n/a	3088	2508	2941	2826	3029	1899
All adults 16-74	5973	5153	4147	5003	4776	5111	3211
All adults 16+	n/a	5783	4645	5596	5350	5736	3608
Bases (unweighted):
Men 16-74	2552	2299	1771	2146	1991	2166	1403
Men 16+	n/a	2576	2031	2466	2281	2482	1612
Women 16-74	3321	2850	2353	2764	2667	2844	1784
Women 16+	n/a	3284	2724	3199	3089	3292	2080
All adults 16-74	5872	5149	4130	4910	4658	5010	3187
All adults 16+	n/a	5860	4755	5665	5370	5774	3692
a Percentages add to more than 100% as the categories are not mutually exclusive
b Any public place defined as: on public transport, in pubs, or other public places from 1998 to 2011
c These places defined as: in own home, other people's homes, on public transport, in pubs, at work, or in other public places from 1998 to 2011
d Any public place defined as: outside buildings, or in any other public places in 2012
e These places defined as: in own home, other people's homes, in cars/vans, outside buildings, at work, or in other public places in 2012

Table 4.4 Non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

Non-smokers aged 16 and over	2012
Exposure to second-hand smokea	Age							Total
	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
In own home	10	7	7	4	10	5	8	7
In other people's home	25	15	11	9	5	5	-	10
At work	6	10	7	8	4	1	-	6
Outside buildings (e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals)	16	11	12	10	13	10	5	11
In cars/vans etc	4	1	4	2	1	0	-	2
In other public places	21	4	6	5	5	7	2	7
In own or other's home	32	20	17	12	13	8	8	16
In any public placeb	30	13	15	13	16	13	7	16
Not exposed to smoke in these placesc	45	65	67	76	71	79	85	69
Women
In own home	20	6	3	7	11	7	6	8
In other people's home	22	19	10	12	9	5	3	11
At work	5	4	3	3	2	1	-	3
Outside buildings (e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals)	21	16	10	13	12	8	2	12
In cars/vans etc	9	1	1	1	2	0	-	2
In other public places	23	8	3	6	8	4	1	8
In own or other's home	36	22	12	16	18	11	8	17
In any public placeb	33	20	11	17	17	10	3	16
Not exposed to smoke in these placesc	44	64	77	70	68	79	89	70
All adults
In own home	15	7	5	6	11	6	7	8
In other people's home	23	17	10	11	7	5	2	11
At work	5	7	5	5	3	1	-	4
Outside buildings (e.g. pubs, shops, hospitals)	19	13	11	11	12	9	3	11
In cars/vans etc	6	1	3	2	1	0	-	2
In other public places	22	6	5	6	7	5	2	7
In own or other's home	34	21	14	14	16	10	8	17
In any public placeb	31	16	13	15	17	12	4	16
Not exposed to smoke in these placesc	44	65	72	72	70	79	87	70
Bases (weighted):
Men	242	268	260	307	265	207	160	1709
Women	234	272	303	344	276	233	237	1899
All adults	476	540	564	650	541	440	397	3608
Bases (unweighted):
Men	119	160	238	294	272	320	209	1612
Women	164	236	350	380	329	325	296	2080
All adults	283	396	588	674	601	645	505	3692
a Percentages add to more than 100% as the categories are not mutually exclusive
b Any public place defined as outside buildings, or other public places
c In own home, other people's homes, in cars/vans, outside buildings, at work, or in other public places

Tables 4.5 Children's exposure to second-hand smoke, 2012, by age and sex

Aged 0 - 15	2012
Exposure to second-hand smoke in own home	Age						Total
	0-1	2-3	4-6	7-9	10-12	13-15
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Boys
Whether anyone smokes in accommodation	9	23	18	23	21	17	19
Reported exposure to second-hand smoke in own home	3	9	8	17	17	13	12
Girls
Whether anyone smokes in accommodation	7	16	17	13	26	27	18
Reported exposure to second-hand smoke in own home	3	8	11	7	17	20	12
All children
Whether anyone smokes in accommodation	8	19	18	18	24	21	19
Reported exposure to second-hand smoke in own home	3	8	9	12	17	16	12
Bases (weighted):
Boys	111	125	171	164	165	178	914
Girls	113	123	162	148	178	149	873
All children	224	248	333	312	342	327	1787
Bases (unweighted):
Boys	115	119	169	159	151	166	879
Girls	123	132	171	159	169	154	908
All children	238	251	340	318	320	320	1787

Table 4.6 Smoking rules in household, 2012, by age and sex

Aged 16 and over	2012
Smoking rules in this house/flat	Age								Total 16+
	0-15	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Males
People can smoke anywhere inside this house/flat	4	16	14	12	14	17	12	21	15
People can only smoke in certain areas or rooms inside this house/flat	16	13	12	14	16	16	12	13	14
People can only smoke in outdoor areas (e.g. gardens/balconies)	67	53	60	60	58	56	63	48	57
People cannot smoke indoors or in outdoor areas of this house/flat	14	18	14	13	12	11	14	18	14
Females
People can smoke anywhere inside this house/flat	3	11	5	7	11	15	14	18	11
People can only smoke in certain areas or rooms inside this house/flat	15	18	15	17	18	21	16	8	17
People can only smoke in outdoor areas (e.g. gardens/balconies)	70	58	67	66	59	55	57	55	60
People cannot smoke indoors or in outdoor areas of this house/flat	12	13	13	10	12	9	12	18	12
All
People can smoke anywhere inside this house/flat	4	14	10	10	12	16	13	19	13
People can only smoke in certain areas or rooms inside this house/flat	15	16	14	16	17	18	14	10	15
People can only smoke in outdoor areas (e.g. gardens/balconies)	68	55	64	63	58	55	60	53	59
People cannot smoke indoors or in outdoor areas of this house/flat	13	16	13	12	12	10	13	18	13
Bases (weighted):
Males	913	338	383	380	419	362	250	172	2305
Females	872	326	376	414	455	382	287	261	2502
All persons	1786	664	760	795	874	744	538	434	4807
Bases (unweighted):
Males	878	169	228	346	408	363	383	224	2121
Females	907	228	329	473	498	442	388	324	2682
All persons	1785	397	557	819	906	805	771	548	4803

Table 4.7 Quit attempts by smokers, and whether would like to quit smoking, 2012, by age and sex

Aged 18 and overa	2012
Number of quit attempts and whether would like to quit	Age							Total
	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
Number of attempts
None	[43]	33	19	12	10	19	*	22
One or two	[32]	29	37	44	34	31	*	35
Three or more	[25]	38	44	44	55	50	*	43
Would like to quit
Yes	[63]	67	84	83	74	63	*	73
No	[37]	33	16	17	26	37	*	27
Women
Number of attempts
None	[41]	25	15	16	16	22	[26]	21
One or two	[41]	42	41	40	36	37	[51]	40
Three or more	[18]	32	44	44	48	41	[23]	39
Would like to quit
Yes	[64]	77	83	81	69	55	[46]	73
No	[36]	23	17	19	31	45	[54]	27
All adults
Number of attempts
None	42	30	17	14	13	20	[26]	21
One or two	36	35	39	42	35	35	[49]	38
Three or more	22	35	44	44	51	45	[25]	41
Would like to quit
Yes	64	71	84	82	72	59	[37]	73
No	36	29	16	18	28	41	[63]	27
Bases (weighted):
Men	66	115	120	113	97	44	13	568
Women	55	103	111	110	107	54	26	566
All adults	121	218	231	223	204	99	39	1135
Bases (unweighted):
Men	36	68	108	115	92	65	15	499
Women	40	92	124	118	114	63	30	581
All adults	76	160	232	233	206	128	45	1080
a These questions were not asked in the self-completion for adults aged 16-17.

Table 4.8 NRT use, 2012, by age and sex

Smokers and recent ex-smokers (<1 year) aged 18 and overa	2012
NRT use	Age							Total
	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
NRT used in last 3 months
Nicotine gum	*	7	13	11	20	10	*	11
Nicotine patches on skin	*	22	25	27	30	27	*	24
Nasal spray/nicotine inhaler	*	4	14	14	8	4	*	10
Lozenge/microtab	*	-	5	5	3	6	*	3
Champix/Varenicline	*	6	5	8	4	10	*	5
Zyban/Bupropion	*	0	-	2	5	-	*	1
Other	*	2	2	-	-	-	*	1
Any NRT used	*	30	42	46	43	36	*	38
Not used NRT	*	70	58	54	57	64	*	62
Women
NRT used in last 3 months
Nicotine gum	[8]	12	11	14	7	9	*	11
Nicotine patches on skin	[35]	25	30	37	24	36	*	30
Nasal spray/nicotine inhaler	[20]	7	13	13	7	4	*	10
Lozenge/microtab	[-]	7	5	7	3	3	*	5
Champix/Varenicline	[-]	5	8	11	6	3	*	6
Zyban/Bupropion	[-]	-	3	4	3	1	*	2
Other	[-]	1	-	2	2	9	*	2
Any NRT used	[47]	38	37	48	36	54	*	42
Not used NRT	[53]	62	63	52	64	46	*	58
All adults
NRT used in last 3 months
Nicotine gum	5	9	12	12	13	10	[10]	11
Nicotine patches on skin	20	24	28	31	27	32	[28]	27
Nasal spray/nicotine inhaler	17	6	14	13	7	4	[4]	10
Lozenge/microtab	0	3	5	6	3	4	[2]	4
Champix/Varenicline	-	5	6	9	5	6	[-]	6
Zyban/Bupropion	-	0	1	3	4	1	[-]	2
Other	-	2	1	1	1	5	[4]	2
Any NRT used	36	34	39	47	39	45	[32]	40
Not used NRT	64	66	61	53	61	55	[68]	60
Bases (weighted):
Men	48	92	104	111	91	39	12	497
Women	39	83	102	98	94	45	19	480
All adults	88	175	206	209	185	84	31	977
Bases (unweighted):
Men	26	53	98	109	86	56	13	441
Women	32	81	114	107	102	54	22	512
All adults	58	134	212	216	188	110	35	953
a These questions were not asked in the self-completion for adults aged 16-17.