Question reference: S6W-20167
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 24 July 2023
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Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 August 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people it estimates currently have a nicotine addiction as a result of using (a) nicotine vapour products and (b) tobacco.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of children and young people who have a nicotine addiction.
However, it monitors smoking and vaping prevalence in these groups, drawing on surveys like the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Scotland study; the Health and Wellbeing Census ; and the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS).
For example, from the Health and Wellbeing Census , undertaken for the first time by Local Authorities in Scotland between October 2021 and June 2022 among secondary school pupils in Scotland (S2 around age 13 and S4 around age 15). This shows that:
- 2.7% of pupils said they were regular smokers. Prevalence was higher in S4 (4.3%) than in S2 (1.6%).
- 6.7% of pupils said they vaped regularly (once a week or more). Prevalence was higher in S4 (10.1%) than in S2 (4.3%).