Smoking Habits Minimize Among Children

A new survey of secondary school pupils, has found out that the present percent age of children who are into smoking, is least as compared to the data of last 25 years.

Children initially, take to smoking due to peer pressure or at times just out of their curiosity. Whatever be the reason, smoking or drinking habits are deadly for children both psychologically and physically. And once they become addicts, the situation becomes grave, sensitive and complicated, at many times out of control also.

The findings of the survey will certainly provide a sigh of relief to the worried parents. The survey indicates that drug abuse is lessening among children.

The NHS Information Centre analyzed that in 2007, there were only 6 per cent regular smokers among children aged 11 to 15 whereas in 2001, between the specified age group, 10 per cent children were customary smokers.

Currently, regarding alcohol, as per probability, one in five children gets drunk in seven days while the data of 2001 showed a relatively high probability for children who tried alcohol, that is, one in every four children.

Corresponding with the seven years back data which suggested at least 12 per cent children were likely to have consumed drugs, the present scenario has changed.

The recent data indicates that the probability of children to have drugs has decreased by 2 percent, only 10 percent fall in this probability section.

The only thing to worry about is that the consumption of Class A drugs has maintained a constant curve at four per cent, since 2001.

The category of children who drink, smoke and take drugs contains 4 percent of children and those who do any of the three activities make up a total of 29 per cent.

"These figures show schoolchildren are turning their back on tobacco. The survey also shows drugs and alcohol appear to have a decreasing hold on 11 to 15-year-olds, which can only be a good thing for future generations," Tim Straughan, NHS Information Centre chief executive said.

This survey no doubts leads us to believe that the overall smoking, drinking and drugs taking habits have fallen down but there can be no denying of the fact that still these harmful practices do exist among children.