Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS): Smoking Report 2015

6 Smoking education and support

Whether received lessons in the last 12 months

64% of 13 year olds and 62% of 15 year old pupils reported that they had received 'lessons, videos/ DVDs or discussion' in class on smoking in the last 12 months.

Smokers were slightly less likely to say that they had received lessons (60% of both regular and occasional smokers compared with 64% of non-smokers). There were very few differences by age or gender.

School advice and support about smoking

Overall, over two-thirds of pupils (69%) agreed that their school provided enough advice and support about smoking. 15 year old girls were more likely than the other groups to say they 'neither agreed nor disagreed' (Figure 6.1).

Smokers were less likely to agree than non-smokers: 58% of regular smokers in both age groups agreed compared with 72% of 13 year old non-smokers and 68% of 15 year old non-smokers (Figure 6.2).

Figure 6.1 Proportion of pupils who 'strongly agree' or 'agree' that their school provides enough advice and support about smoking, by age and gender (2015)

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 (6,161), 13 year old boys (5,734), 15 year old girls (5,305), 15 year old boys (5,150)

Figure 6.2 Proportion of pupils who 'strongly agree' or 'agree' that their school provides enough advice and support about smoking, by age and smoking status (2015)

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 (12,597), 13 year old regular smokers (199), 15 year old non-smokers (9,919), 15 year olds regular smokers (799)

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

Around half of pupils felt they had learned 'a lot' in school about both 'the risks to your health from cigarettes' and 'that people's views about smoking, drinking and taking drugs can be affected by the things their friends say and do' (Figure 6.3).

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 (2015)

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

Base: all 13 year olds (13,347), all 15 year olds (11,469)

Figure 6.4 Proportion of 15 year olds who feel they have learned ' not much' or ' nothing at all' in school about the health risks of cigarettes and the influence of friends (both ages), by smoking status (2015)

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

Base: 15 year old non-smokers (9,919), 15 year old occasional smokers (598) 15 year old regular smokers (799)

Confidence in future health and wellbeing choices

Most pupils said they were 'very confident' or 'fairly confident' about some specific aspects of health and wellbeing choices (Figure 6.5). The highest levels of confidence were around 'saying no to something that you don't want to do'.

13 year olds tended to be a little more confident than 15 year olds about each aspect.

Regular smokers and occasional smokers were less confident about these choices than non-smokers (Figure 6.6).

Figure 6.5 Confidence in future health and wellbeing choices, by age (2015)

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

Base: all 13 year olds (12,789), all 15 year olds (11,321)

Figure 6.6 Proportion of 15 year old pupils saying they are 'not very confident' or 'not at all confident' about future health and wellbeing choices (both ages), by smoking status (2015)

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

Base: All 15 year olds Base: 15 year old non-smokers (9,919), 15 year old occasional smokers (598) 15 year old regular smokers (799)