ASH Year 10 Survey shows drop in youth smoking

13 March 2014

ASH Year 10 Survey shows drop in youth smoking

The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Year 10 smoking survey shows only 3.2 per cent of Year 10 students are smoking daily. This compares to 4.1 per cent in the previous year.

“It is great to see youth daily smoking is declining again. The previous survey was the first time in the survey’s history that they didn’t decrease,” said ASH director Stephanie Erick.

“The results reinforce the idea that a smokefree New Zealand by 2025 isn’t an intangible concept, it is something that’s now within reach.”

Maori daily smoking remains higher at 8.5 percent, but well below the 30.3 per cent from the first survey in 1999.

“We need to be mindful of smoking inequalities and it must be a focus to reduce this as much as possible.

“Aside from seeing plain packaging for tobacco being introduced in the next year, we’d also like to see tobacco taxes further increased.

“This approach works both in terms of reducing numbers smoking, and those that start smoking in the first place,” said Ms Erick.

The survey has run continuously since 1999 when daily student smoking was 15.6 percent.

Notes:
• 3.5 per cent of female students smoke daily
• 3 per cent of male students smoke daily
• 6.8 per cent of students are regular smokers
• The survey takes an annual snapshot of smoking behaviour of Kiwi teenagers aged
• 14-15 and was in the field during 2013
• To maintain confidentiality, teachers did not examine the surveys for completeness
• 27 921 students took part in the survey

ASH would like to see:
• Well resourced tobacco denormalisation campaigns
• Tax increases of more than 30 per cent each year

ENDS

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