Significant drop in number of children drinking and smoking in the last two decades More children reported feeling low and being on a diet compared with 1998. By Press Association Monday 8 Mar 2021, 2:29 PM Mar 8th 2021, 12:41 PM 16,151 Views 30 Comments Image: PA Updated Mar 8th 2021, 2:29 PM THERE HAS BEEN a significant drop in the number of children drinking and smoking in the last 20 years, research has shown. There has also been a decline in the number of young people taking cannabis across genders, ages and social classes. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Trends Report (HBSC) found that, between 2002 and 2018, there was a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of young people aged 15 to 17 who had ever smoked who reported having had their first cigarette at the age of 13 or younger.