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GYA Publish Smoking Figures

20 March 2015

By Lauren E. White

The Gateshead Youth Assembly recently published some worrying statistics on smoking amongst young people in Gateshead schools. Of the 1,350 replies from Year 8 students some were handed out in six schools in the borough while the online entries were submitted from students who attended different schools in the north east.

While no particular school stood out, it is clear that smoking amongst teenagers in school is becoming a growing issue. Of the young people who took part 12% said they had smoked before, showing that perhaps more needs to be done by local authorities, schools and parents to prevent this.

As well as the 12% who have smoked a normal cigarette, there was 13% who admitted that in 2014 they smoked an e-cigarette.

But despite these concerning statistics, 84% said that smoking was socially unacceptable and 38.7% thought that the smoking education in school was ineffective. The statistics may prove worrying, but they do indicate a change towards the attitude young people have when it comes to smoking.

Perhaps in the future we will see an improvement in the education young people are exposed to on such matters as smoking before it’s too late.

To find out more about giving up smoking as a teen CLICK HERE

For the report from the Youth Council CLICK HERE

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