The table shows the percentage of young male and female smokers aged 15 to 20 in Britain from 1970 to 2000. Overall, both genders saw an increase in smoking rates until the 1990s, followed by a slight decline.
In 1970, 10% of males and 5% of females smoked . By 1985, these numbers had risen significantly to 37% for males and 34% for females. Interestingly, in 1990, both genders reached their highest smoking rates, with males at 36% and females at 37%.
From 1990 to 2000, there was a gradual decrease in smoking rates for both males and females. By 2000, the percentage of male smokers dropped to 28%, while female smokers decreased to 27%.
In the first 10 years, males consistently had higher smoking rates compared to females. However, the gap narrowed over time, especially in the later years. Overall, there was a general trend of increasing smoking rates until the 1990s, followed by a decline in the early 2000s.