Male student smokers outnumber females by three to one

A SURVEY of first-year secondary school students has found that male smokers outnumber females who light up by three to one.

And an alarming seven out of 10 who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day were unaware of the health dangers associated with smoking. The health board survey in Roscommon found that 21% of males smoked compared to 7.5% of females.

Over a third of the students, mostly aged between 12 and 14, claim their parents are aware of their smoking habit.