The table illustrates Britain’s proportion of smokers in both genders from the age of 15 to 20.
In the first year, 10% of males in this age group smoked. Over the following years, there was a gradual growth in their smoking, with figures rising from 22% in 1975 to 37% in 1985. However, after 1985, smoking rates among males began to decline slightly, falling to 36% in 1990. From 1990 to 1995, the decline continued significantly, and by 2000, the proportion had decreased to 28%.
The proportion of female smokers started much lower at 5% in 1970, which was half the rate for males. Nevertheless, the trend for females had remarkably gone up in the following years, with the proportion rising from 13% in 1975 to 34% in 1985. In 1990, the rate for females surpassed that of males, reaching the peak at 37%. After this peak, female smoking rates followed a similar downward trend as males, falling to 32% in 1995 and 27% in 2000.
Overall, the patterns for both males and females witnessed a gradual rise in smoking rates from 1970 to 1985. However, it was also clear that females had lower smoking rates than males in 1970 but outstripped them in 1990. In addition, both genders experienced a decline in smoking from 1990 to 2000, with the more dramatic fall belonging to males.