Tobacco and Public Health - TCSC Indonesia

Adult smoking
PATTI WHITE 209
Since 1972, smoking prevalence in Great Britain has been measured regularly in a
nationally representative population sample as part of the General Household Survey.
These surveys show that the prevalence of cigarette smoking fell substantially in the
1970s and early 1980s. Since then the decline has slowed and there has been little
change in adult prevalence since 1992 (Fig. 10.2).
In December 1998, the UK government for the first time set out a comprehensive
strategy to tackle smoking in its White Paper, Smoking Kills, and set a target for to
decrease smoking prevalence in adults, school children (11–15 years), and among
pregnant women in England (DH 1998). It has subsequently set targets to narrow the
gap in smoking between manual and non-manual social classes (DH 2000).
Gender
Prior to the mid-1980s, men in Great Britain were much more likely to be cigarette
smokers than were women, but since then the difference in prevalence has been
decreasing. However, Fig 10.2 does not account for pipe or cigar smoking and British
women rarely use these forms of tobacco. Taking cigar and pipe smoking into consideration,
about 32 per cent of men smoke any tobacco product compared to 26 per cent
of women (Walker et al. 2001).
Adult age groups
In 2000, cigarette smoking prevalence was highest among those aged 20–34. Prior to
the 1990s, prevalence was similar in all age groups except the youngest (16–19) and the
oldest (60 and over) (Walker et al. 2001).
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
51
41
1974
45
37
38
33
35
Men Women
1978
1982
33
31
31 30 29 28
1986
1988
1990
29 28 29 28 29
1992
26
1994
28
1996
26 25
Fig. 10.2 Prevalence of cigarette smoking by age and sex: 1974–2000 Great Britain, Persons
16 years and over. (Source: Walker et al. 2001.)
1998
2000