Number Of Children Drinking Alcohol Under The Age Of 16 Drops To The Lowest Level Since Records Began | HuffPost Life

And the number of kids smoking has decreased, too.

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

The number of children drinking alcohol under the age of 16 is the lowest its been since records began.

The 2014/15 Health Survey for England (HSE) found that just 16% of children aged eight to 15 years reported ever having an alcoholic drink.

This is the lowest level reported since the HSE began including children in 1995, down from the highest point of 45% in 2003.

The figures, published by NHS Digital, also show that the proportion of eight- to 15-year-olds who reported that they had smoked a cigarette has decreased from 19% in 2003 to 4% in 2015.

Among children aged eight to 15, 5% of boys and 4% of girls had smoked a cigarette. This is a decrease from 2013/14 whn 8% of boys and 7% of girls reported they had ever smoked a cigarette.

MarioGuti via Getty Images

The HSE gathers information from adults and children to monitor trends in the nation’s health.

In 2014/15 just 1% of children aged eight to 15 reported they smoked regularly (at least one cigarette per week).

Among non-smoking children aged four to 15, 34% of boys and 38% of girls had detectable levels of cotinine, a substance that indicates exposure to other people’s smoke.

The 2015 survey also included information on child health issues.

In 2015, 28% of children aged two to 15 were either overweight (14%) or obese (14%). The surveys show childhood obesity in England increased between 1995 and 2005, but has remained relatively stable at between 14% and 17% since 2008.

Physical activity guidelines of being moderately active for at least 60 minutes every day were met by just 22% of five- to 15-year-olds.

Before You Go

12 Undeniable Facts About Smoking

FACT 1(01 of12)

Every cigarette you smoke reduces your expected life span by 11 minutes. (credit:Jasper White via Getty Images)

FACT 2(02 of12)

There are roughly 10 million adults who smoke cigarettes in Great Britain. (credit:Bertrand Demee via Getty Images)

FACT 3(03 of12)

Two-thirds of smokers start before the age 18. (credit:Flying Colours Ltd via Getty Images)

FACT 4(04 of12)

The proportion of the population who are smokers has decreased since the 1970s. A sixth of the population smoke now, in comparison to nearly half of the adult population smoking in 1974. (credit:DraÅ¾en LovriÄ via Getty Images)

FACT 7(05 of12)

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds including: carbon monoxide, arsenic, formaldehyde, cyanide, benzene, toluene and acrolein. (credit:murengstockphoto via Getty Images)

FACT 8(06 of12)

Smoking poses a huge risk to your cardiovascular system.It also steals some of your good cholesterol, increases the risk of clotting and temporarily raises your blood pressure. (credit:Jeffrey Hamilton via Getty Images)

FACT 9(07 of12)

Immediately after you quit smoking, your lungs and other smoke-damaged organs start to repair themselves. (credit:Oko_SwanOmurphy via Getty Images)

FACT 10(08 of12)

Smoking is England’s biggest killer. Half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their addiction. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)

FACT 11(09 of12)

100,000 smokers in the UK die every year from smoking related causes. (credit:Shui Ta Shan via Getty Images)

FACT 12(10 of12)

In 2012-13 the Government earned £12.3 billion in revenue from tobacco tax. (credit:Jasper James via Getty Images)

FACT 13(11 of12)

Usage of electronic cigarettes has tripled in the past two years. 2.1 million adults in Great Britain now use them. (credit:diego_cervo via Getty Images)

FACT 14(12 of12)

A report by Dr Robert West of University College London found that e-cigarette use from popular brands is expected to be at least 20 times safer (and probably considerably more so) than smoking tobacco cigarettes. (credit:mangojuicy via Getty Images)

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