WIREDGOV

Only one in five adults now smoke.

The Scottish Household Survey 2014, published yesterday, shows that 20 per cent of adults now smoke – a drop of three percentage points on the previous three years.

This is the sharpest year-to-year decline in smoking rates since 1999, and shows good progress towards meeting the Scottish Government’s target of cutting the figure to five per cent or less by 2034.

Smoking rates in the most deprived areas have dropped from 40 per cent in 2010 to 34 per cent in 2014.

Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said yesterday:

“I welcome today’s figures which show a significant drop in the number of smokers. Smoking is Scotland’s largest cause of preventable ill health and death, killing one in two of its long term users – and the best thing smokers can do is quit.

“These figures are a major boost as we continue towards our goal of a smoke-free Scotland by 2034.

“The figures are also a testament to young people who choose wisely never to start smoking, the willpower of those who manage to get off cigarettes, and the services who help so many Scots to quit each year. It’s also particularly heartening to see rates falling most notably in Scotland’s most deprived communities.”

Notes To Editors

The drop in smoking prevalence means that the national performance indicator will change to performance improving having been ‘performance maintaining’ for the previous two years.

The Scottish Household Survey 2014 can be found here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16002/PublicationAnnual