Skip to content

Health

Smoking - 50 years of progress - but not worldwide

by Michael Evans 10 Mar 2012
Smoking - 50 years of progress - but not worldwide

Smoking cigarette via Shutterstock

Fifty years ago nobody in Britain thought twice about lighting up a cigarette in public. Cinemas, theatres, pubs and public transport were all popular locations where people could relax and enjoy a cigarette.

Tobacco came to Britain in the sixteenth century and wealthy men usually smoked it in pipes. Later snuff became very popular along with cigar smoking, but it was not until cigarette-making machines were invented in the late nineteenth century that tobacco smoking hit the mass market in a big way.

The horrors of the Great War led to a great rise in smoking and by 1919 cigarette smoking was by far the most popular form. Initially it was only men who smoked, but by the 1920s it also became acceptable for women to follow suit.

World War II gave cigarette smoking another tremendous boost and by 1945 consumption peaked at 12 manufactured cigarettes a day for every adult male in the country. This soon tailed off to about 10 a day, where it remained for the next 30 years or so.

It was not until after World War II that women began to smoke in large numbers. In 1945 2.4 cigarettes were being smoked each day for every adult female, but while the level of cigarette smoking for men remained constant during the next 30 years, female consumption nearly trebbled to 7 cigarettes a day.

In 1948, when surveys began, 82% of men smoked, and 65% were cigarette smokers, but smoking has never been a majority habit among women and even at its peak fewer than 44% of adult women were smokers.

By the mid 1960s 70% of the UK male population and 43% of women were regular smokers and smoking was regarded more or less as a fact of life. Cinemas, theatres, pubs, restaurants and public transport were all places where one could relax with a cigarette and nobody thought twice about it. Even hospitals and schools were not exempt.

But things were to change. From the early 1950s reports had been appearing about dangers that smoking posed to health, but these were all either ignored or greeted with hostility. Then in March 1962 The Royal College of Physicians published a groundbreaking report Smoking and Health in which they warned the Government about the dangers of smoking-related death and diseases.

This time the warning hit home, the public responded and the Ministry of Health was inundated with anti-smoking ideas.

In 2012 smoking is no longer the norm in Britain, but although numbers of smokers have dramatically decreased, around 10 million British adults still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco consumption continues to be recognised as the UK's single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death.

Latest estimates put the annual number of UK deaths from smoking related diseases at 104,000.

Every year tobacco smoking is estimated to be responsible for approximately one in four cancer deaths; that is around 44,000. 86% of lung cancer deaths in the UK are a result of smoking, but smoking also causes cancers in many other parts of the body. These include cancers of the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, the pharynx, larynx and oesophagus; the pancreas, stomach, liver, bladder, kidney, cervix, bowel and ovary. It can also cause myeloid leukaemia.

Numbers of smokers vary according to age group. In the 1990s the 20 to 34-year-olds made up the largest group, with 48% being regular smokers, but by 2009 this number had fallen to 26%, roughly the same as for the 35-49 age group. It is in the over 60 age group where numbers have fallen most. 34% of this age group were regular smokers in 1974, but by 2009 this number had fallen to 14%.

Numbers of smokers also vary according to socio-economic grouping. In 2009, 29% of adults in what are described as routine and manual households were regular smokers, while for those in managerial and professional households the figure was only 15%.

Geographical region can also influence the numbers of smokers within the UK. In Scotland the figure is 25%, followed by Wales with 23% and England with 21%. There are also more smokers in the North West of England than in the South West.

Smoking prevalence varies widely around the world, where there are currently around 1.3 billion smokers, 80% of whom live in low or middle-income countries. It is estimated that by 2025/2030 around 10 million people will die each year from smoking-related diseases and 70% of these deaths will be in developing countries.

Asia contains a third of the world's population, but has over half of the world's male smokers. Individual levels are fearfully high. 53% of Japanese males are smokers, while the figure for China is 63% and for Vietnam 73%. In China alone, 600,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases and it is estimated that if current smoking rates continue, one in three of China's young men will die as a result.

In Britain during the last 50 years a rise in awareness of smoking's very real danger to health has helped to bring an encouraging fall in the numbers of regular smokers, but is clear that the problems associated with smoking-related diseases are still very much with us.

Worldwide the surface has hardly been scratched.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping