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Youth Smoking

Most smokers take up smoking before the age of 18.

Children whose parents or siblings smoke are around three times more likely to smoke than children living in non-smoking households.

Although around three quarters of teenagers report that they have never smoked, among those who do experiment with smoking many become addicted to nicotine and continue to smoke as adults.

The effectiveness of youth-focused health education is limited and at best appears to delay the age of starting to smoke. It appears that the best way of reducing youth smoking is to have comprehensive tobacco control policies in place that apply to the whole population.

We have compiled a selection of resources for young people and schools.

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03: Young People and Smoking
Since the late 1990s there has been a fall in smoking among 11-15 year olds after at least two decades of little change. Children are more likely to smoke if their parents smoke and parents' attitude to smoking is also an important factor. 
Author: ASH Published By: ASH Published : 01/02/2013

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ASH Submission to Under-age sales consultation
ASH’s response to the Government consultation on under-age sales of tobacco. ASH supports the proposal to raise the minimum age from 16 to 18 and favours a positive licensing system to reduce illegal sales.
Author: ASH Published By: ASH Published : 28/06/2006

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Not Big and Not Clever! Youth smoking prevention explored:
This review of youth smoking prevention campaigns finds that few that have made much difference apart from, at best, a delay in the onset of smoking.
Author: Ben Youdan, Amanda Sandford Published By: No Smoking Day, ASH Published : 07/07/2003

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World Health Organization briefing: A critique of youth smoking prevention initiatives
This briefing was presented at the negotiating meetings on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva. It explains why Big Tobacco's involvement in youth smoking prevention is such a disingenous initiative.
Author: World Health Organization Published By: World Health Organization Published : 22/10/2002

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Cease and desist: butt out of youth smoking prevention initiatives
October 2002: ASH and organisations representing the three major health networks (heart, lung, and cancer) wrote an open letter to Big Tobacco, instructing the tobacco companies to stop running their mendacious Youth Smoking Prevention (YSP) programmes. 
Author: ASH, International Union Against Cancer, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, World Heart Federation Published By: ASH, International Union Against Cancer, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, World Heart Federation Published : 22/10/2002

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Report on Tobacco industry funded youth anti-smoking campaign
British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco pay £2.4 million in advertising campaign on MTV aimed at persuading young people not to smoke. Why would they want to do this? This ASH reports looks at the reasons behind this campaign.
Author: ASH Published By: ASH Published : 27/08/2001

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Images of tobacco industry youth smoking initiatives
These are typical images used by the Tobacco Industry for their youth smoking initiatives. 
Author: Complied by ASH Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 09/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground: tobacco industry initiatives on youth smoking
Tobacco companies have adopted a public posture of opposition to teenage smoking. This report reveals why this stance amounts to little more than a sinister and cynical public relations strategy.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 05/10/2000

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Tobacco industry initiatives on youth smoking - PowerPoint Presentation
June 2002: Presentation (36 slides) based on Danger! PR in the playground with graphic examples of youth smoking initiatives and evidence from tobacco industry documents.

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"Need a fag, need a fag", Smoking and Young People
Focus group research with kids ages 10-15 testing some tobacco industry ideas on youth smoking. Six qualitative discussion groups.
Author: Kay Scott Associates Published By: Kay Scott Associates Published : 30/06/2000

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Smoking cessation in young people: should we do more to help young smokers quit
Health Development Agency report on how best to approach smoking cessation (not prevention) for young people. Asks the question: should we do more to help young people stop smoking?
Author: Jonathan Foulds Published By: Health Development Agency Published : 29/02/2000

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School-based, youth centred smoking intervention programmes: to be or not to be?
Paper prepared for the World Health Organization conference on tobacco and youth – Singapore 1999.
Author: Anne Charlton Published By: University of Manchester Published : 27/09/1999

NICE guidance on preventing the uptake of smoking by children and young people
NICE guidance on preventing the uptake of smoking by children and young people
This guidance covers mass media and point of sales measures only. The guidance stresses that these measures should be combined with other prevention strategies as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy.

Smoking and public health: a review of interventions to increase smoking cessation, reduce smoking initiation
Smoking and public health: a review of interventions to increase smoking cessation, reduce smoking initiation
This report by the Health Development Agency (from 2005 the National Institute of Clinical Evidence) provides a systematic review of the evidence relating to interventions to prevent young people from starting to smoke. It also reviews interventions that work best to help smokers of all ages to quit. It suggests that some youth smoking prevention measures may be effective but the evidence for initiatives such as retail interventions is less clear. April 2004 

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Danger! PR in the playground (Russian)
Russian translation of the summary of the Danger! PR in the playground report.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 17/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground (Mandarin)
Mandarin translation of the Danger! PR in the playground report
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 16/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground (Spanish)
Spanish translation of the Danger! PR in the Playground report.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 15/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground (Arabic)
Summary of the Danger! PR in the playground report in Arabic.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Centre Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Centre Published : 15/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground (German)
German translation of the Danger! PR in the playground report.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 15/10/2000

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Danger! PR in the playground (French)
French translation of the Danger! PR in the playground report.
Author: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published By: ASH, The Cancer Research Campaign Published : 15/10/2000