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Teenage Drinking and Smoking declining worldwide

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="400"] Reports worldwide indicate that witnessing a scene like the above may become rarer in the coming years[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In what could be considered as a sign of a growing sense of responsibility among teenagers worldwide, reports suggest that fewer teens of today are drinking and smoking compared to the past generations of teens. Reports from Asia, America and UK suggest that more teens shun alcohol and support it. While smoking and drinking are strongly tied to several health diseases, the above reports do prove the point that teen awareness about healthy and unhealthy habits are increasing.

Teenage drinking and smoking decline attributed to tighter laws

Compared to the past, it's more difficult for teens to purchase alcohol and cigarettes. Tighter regulations throughout the developed world often disallow retailers to sell alcohol and cigarettes to teenagers directly. Strict laws that prevent adults from  distributing them to minors also seem to have worked right for the lawmakers. However, high costs, negative media publicity, few direct advertisements and increasing awareness among teens have also been identified among the leading causes behind the declining consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.

Reports of declining consumption in UK, USA and Asia

In a recent survey among teens from the UK, it was observed that there was a dramatic decline in the number of first-time smokers compared to 2005. Results indicated that for the first time, less than 10% smoked for the first time in their teens.  Similar figures were found with alcohol usages according to the survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Similarly, a report by the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor about cigarette and alcohol consumption patterns among teens in the USA also showed that its in a declining trend. The figure of 9.6% teens smoking a cigarette in less than 30 days of interval was the lowest compared to any other time in the past. The figures from Asia don't show the level of significant declines compared to the nations of the west. However, consumption patterns and sales figure suggests that the trend of teen smoking and drinking is definitely on the decline.

A progressive sign

Several studies by psychologists and social scientists in the past have indicated that many adults addicted to cigarettes and alcohol start in their teens. At the same time their consumption is also attributed to be the cause of a lot of severe health problems ranging from organ failures to cancers. Thus the declining rates of consumption can indeed be considered as a positive development.

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