Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS): smoking report 2018

6 Smoking education and support

Whether received lessons in the last 12 months

67% of 13 year olds and 58% of 15 year old pupils reported that they had received ‘lessons, videos/DVDs or discussion’ in class on smoking in the last 12 months.

Regular smokers were less likely to say that they had received lessons (55%) than non-smokers (63%). 

School advice and support about smoking

Overall, two thirds of pupils (66%) agreed that their school provided enough advice and support about smoking. Among both boys and girls, 15 year olds were less likely to agree than 13 year olds (Figure 6.1). 

Smokers were less likely to agree than non-smokers among both age groups. Among 15 year olds, 50% of regular smokers agreed compared to 63% of non-smokers, and for 13 year olds these figures were 60% and 71% respectively (Figure 6.2). 

Figure 6.1: Whether pupils agree that their school provides enough advice and support about smoking, by age and gender (2018)

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? ‘My school provides me with enough advice and support about… smoking’

Base: 13 year old girls (5,252), 13 year old boys (5,100), 15 year old girls (4,653), 15 year old boys (4,385)

Figure 6.2: Whether pupils agree that their school provides enough advice and support about smoking, by age and smoking status (2018)

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? ‘My school provides me with enough advice and support about… smoking’

Base: 13 year old non-smokers (10,247), 13 year old regular smokers (173), 15 year old non-smokers (8,244), 15 year olds regular smokers (626)

How much learned about the health risks of cigarettes and the influence of friends

48% of all pupils felt they had learned ‘a lot’ in school about ‘the risks to your health from cigarettes’ and 43% ‘that people’s views about smoking, drinking and taking drugs can be affected by the things their friends say and do’ (Figure 6.3 shows the breakdown by age).

15 year old regular smokers and occasional smokers were more likely than non-smokers to say they had learned ‘not much’ or ‘nothing at all’ (Figure 6.4).

Figure 6.3: How much pupils feel they have learned in school about the health risks of cigarettes and the influence of friends, by age (2018)

Q. In school, how much have you learned about the following?

Base: all pupils, 13 year olds (10,828), 15 year olds (9,462)

Figure 6.4: How much 15 year old pupils feel they have learned in school about the health risks of cigarettes and the influence of friends, by smoking status (2018)

Q. In school, how much have you learned about the following?

Base: 15 year old non-smokers (8,393), 15 year old occasional smokers (504), 15 year old regular smokers (633)

Confidence in future health and wellbeing choices

There were high levels of confidence among pupils regarding certain aspects of health and wellbeing choices. The majority were very confident about ‘saying no to something that you don’t want to do’ (Figure 6.5).

13 year olds were more confident than 15 year olds about having the information they needed to make the right choices about their health and wellbeing and about knowing where to go for information and support about substance related issues. On the other hand, 15 year olds were more confident than 13 year olds about saying no to doing something they didn’t want to do.

Among 15 year olds, regular smokers and occasional smokers tended to be less confident about these choices than non-smokers (Figure 6.6).

Figure 6.5: Confidence in future health and wellbeing choices, by age (2018)

Q. Thinking about the future, how confident do you feel about…?

Base: all pupils, 13 year olds (10,710), 15 year olds (9,368)

Figure 6.6: Confidence among 15 year olds in future health and wellbeing choices, by smoking status (2018)

Q. Thinking about the future, how confident do you feel about…?

Base: 15 year old non-smokers (8,277) 15 year old occasional smokers (491), 15 year old regular smokers (627)