Smoking bans across the UK have cut the number of teenagers starting to smoke by around a fifth. While previous research had shown that smoke-free legislation had resulted in many improvements in the nation’s health, including reductions in heart attacks, strokes and asthma, little was known about the impact on the smoking habits of adolescents. However, a new study undertaken by the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling and the Welsh Government suggests a big change in the number of young people starting to smoke, especially girls, with the smoking rate for 15-year-old girls falling from 24 per cent to 19 per cent, and the longer term impact is expected to be greater. The study, which was... [Read more]