English young people aged between 11 and 15 years of age are turning away from bad habits of their forebears. Dramatic data from the Office for National Statistics suggest that the smoking ban and other public health measures have been working.
The percentage of this age group trying alcohol fell from 61% in 2003 to 43% last year. The figures for those who tried smoking were down from 49% in 1996 to 23% . And drugs down from 30% to 17%.