Tobacco use among adolescents in Scotland: profile and trends

3. ATTITUDES TO SMOKING

FAMILY ATTITUDES TO PUPIL SMOKING

There is strong evidence that the children of smokers are more likely to be smokers themselves due to a number of factors, such as their family's attitudes towards smoking, particularly if they are aware of and tolerate their child smoking.

Since 2002 SALSUS has asked all smokers whether their family know that they smoke and their attitude to this. Most regular smokers report that their families know they smoke, but this is not the case with occasional smokers. The attitudes of families of pupils who know they smoke have not changed appreciably over time: their most common reaction is to try and persuade the child to stop (Figure 3.1).^[18]

Figure 3.1 - Regular smokers: family awareness and attitudes^[19]

Base: 15 year old regular smokers

As one might expect, the families of occasional smokers are less likely to be aware of their smoking. (Figure 3.2)

Figure 3.2 - Occasional smokers: family awareness and attitudes

If at least one parent smokes, the child is slightly less likely to hide their smoking, but the family response to it does not change appreciably in any area.

PUPILS' ATTITUDES TO SMOKING

Denormalisation of smoking has been a central theme in tobacco control. Improving understanding of the dangers of smoking and shifting opinion across the whole population about the social acceptability of smoking have been key policy aims. Since 2006, SALSUS has included a number of questions about the respondent's knowledge of and attitudes to smoking, allowing us to gauge how understanding and opinions on smoking have changed over time.

Figure 3.3 - Ok to try a cigarette? - change over time, 2006-2013

Base: all pupils surveyed

The proportion of 13 and 15 year olds who think it is ok for someone their age to try smoking once to see what it is like has fallen. While there is not much difference between 13 year olds of either gender, 15 year old girls were more likely to say trying smoking once is ok than boys their age.

SALSUS also asks pupils to read a set of knowledge and attitudinal statements about smoking and say if they think they are true or false (1994-1998) or if they agree or disagree (2006-2010).^[20]

Responses to most questions, including all of those about the health effects of smoking, have remained relatively constant over time (Figure 3.4). However, there has been a small upward trend for pupils to agree with some popular myths about more "positive effects" of smoking, such as that it helps people relax, is not dangerous unless you smoke a lot, or it can help people cope. Non-smokers remain less likely to agree with these statements than regular and occasional smokers.^[21] There has also been an increase in the proportion who think that smoking only harms people who smoke a lot.

Figure 3.4 - Changes in knowledge and attitudes towards smoking^[22]

Base: varies from question to question (full bases in Appendix A, Table A.4; full data in Appendix B, Table B.5)

Smoking can cause lung cancer

GIVING UP SMOKING

Figure 3.5 - Regular smokers who want to give up, 1992-2013

The number of 15 year old regular smokers saying they would like to give up has stayed relatively constant, though there has been a shift from "don't know" to "no" over time

Fig 3.6 - Have those who want to give up tried?

Base: all 15 year old regular smokers (1992-2013)

The percentage of regular smokers who want to give up and have tried to do so has decreased over time, but the data cannot explain why this might be the case.