title: Child uptake of smoking by area across the UK.
abstract: Smoking is a major public health problem. As smokers age and die prematurely, the tobacco industry must continue to recruit new, young smokers. Survey data indicate that currently in the UK around 207,000 children aged 11-15 start smoking every year. We used local data on adult smoking rates to apportion national data on child smoking uptake to specific areas. The presentation of data for individual local authorities, which now have responsibility for public health, can be used to focus attention locally. For example, this analysis demonstrates that each day, 67 children, more than two classrooms full, start smoking in London.
authors.affiliation: The NIHR Biomedical Research Unit of Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.affiliation: Action on Smoking and Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lester-George
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ormiston-Smith
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Action on Smoking and Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arnott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical Epidemiology; Tobacco and the lung