Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking changed little during the 1990s, the GHS has shown a continuing fall in the reported average number of cigarettes smoked. The fall in consumption has occurred mainly among younger smokers: the number of cigarettes smoked by those aged 50 and over has changed very little since the mid-1970s.

Most of the decline in consumption in the 1990s is due to a reduction in the proportion of heavy smokers:

• the proportion of respondents smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day, on average, fell between 1990 and 2000 from 14% to 10% of men, and from 9% to 6% of women. The proportions who were light smokers were virtually unchanged throughout the 1990s. 

In all age groups, respondents are more likely to be light than heavy smokers, the difference being most pronounced among the younger age groups.

• For example, in 2000, 26% of young men and 25% of young women aged 16-19 were light smokers, but only 4% and 3% respectively were heavy smokers.

 In 2000, as in previous years, male smokers smoked more cigarettes per week on average than female smokers: 104 compared with 89. Cigarette consumption also varied by age.

• Among both men and women smokers, those aged 16-19 smoked the fewest cigarettes a week (81 for men and 71 for women), and those aged 50-59 smoked the most (122 for men and 103 for women).

 Consumption levels continue to be higher among male and female smokers from manual socio-economic groups than those from non-manual groups. In 2000, men from the unskilled manual group smoked on average 121 cigarettes a week, while those in the professional group smoked an average of 92 a week. Among women, those in the semi-skilled manual group smoked 96 cigarettes per week on average, compared with those in the professional group who smoked 72 a week.