Jackson, Sarah;
Tattan-Birch, Harry;
Hopkinson, Nicholas;
Brown, James;
Shahab, Lion;
Bunce, Laura;
Laverty, Anthony;
(2024)
Estimating young adult uptake of smoking by area across the UK.
Nicotine and Tobacco Research
(In press).
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Abstract
Introduction: There is majority support in parliament and across the UK to implement a ‘smokefree generation’ policy which would mean people born on or after 1 January 2009 could never legally be sold tobacco. To explore the potential impact this policy could have, we estimated the number of young adults (18–25y) currently taking up smoking each year by area across the UK.// Methods: Using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Annual Population Survey (APS), and Smoking Toolkit Study (STS), we estimated the total number of 18–25-year-olds taking up smoking each year, based on national estimates of population size (ONS) and the proportion who reported ever having regularly smoked (STS). We used local data on adult smoking rates (APS) to apportion the national estimated number of young adults taking up smoking to specific areas.// Results: Around 127,500 18–25-year-olds in the UK start smoking regularly each year (~350 each day); 105,700 each year in England, 11,500 in Scotland, 6,500 in Wales, and 3,800 in Northern Ireland. Uptake estimates varied across localities: for example, North East Lincolnshire had the highest proportion of young adults taking up smoking each year (3.9%) and Wokingham had the lowest (0.9%).// Conclusions: Despite reductions in smoking prevalence over recent decades, hundreds of young adults in the UK start smoking every day.// Implications: Data on rates of uptake among individual local authorities can be used to focus attention locally prior to the introduction of new age of sale laws.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Estimating young adult uptake of smoking by area across the UK |
| Publisher version: | https://academic.oup.com/ntr |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author-accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | smoking; initiation; region; constituency; Great Britain; England; Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10197821 |
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