[Intl-tobacco] Norway: Smoking prevalence drops 29 to 26 percent

[Robert Weissman]

Norwegian Health Ministry news release
Re: study by Statistics Norway on commission for the Department for
Tobacco Control (Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Norway)

http://www.ssb.no/royk_en/

Smoking prevalence down - 26 percent smoke daily

 A recent published study shows a remarkable decrease in the number of peop=
le
 smoking daily between 2002 and 2003, of 3 percent, 26 down from 29 percent=
.
 The research shows that the decrease is greater among young people. In the
 age-group 16 to 24 the smoking prevalence among people smoking daily has
 gone down from 28 to 23 percent.

 These are very gratifying numbers, says the Minister of Health Mr. Dagfinn
 H=F8ybr=E5ten. This shows that the efforts laid down in working with tobac=
co
 control and tobacco prevention, from NGOs, Trade Unions, Health Care Syste=
m
 and the authorities have lead to good results. First and foremost, the
 numbers show that many people have taken their desire to quit smoking
 seriously. These people really deserve credit. Even though these
numbers are
 very gratifying, it is important to continue the effective work being done
 in the field of tobacco control and tobacco prevention, which will
bring us
 closer to the vision of a tobacco-free society, says the Minister of Healt=
h.

 Statistics Norway (SSB) each year compiles statistics on tobacco use. Peop=
le
 aged 16 to 74 are included in the survey. In 2003 26,3 percent of the
 population said that they smoke daily. The corresponding number for
2002 was
 29,4 and the decrease of 3,1 percent is statistically significant.

 The number of youth smoking daily has fallen from 27,8 to 22,8 percent. Th=
e
 number of youth smoking now and then in the same age-group, has fallen fro=
m
 17,3 to 15,5 percent. The number of youth not smoking at all has gone up
 significantly with almost 7 percent.