While the number of children and teenagers smoking in Ireland has fallen slightly in recent years, exposure to secondhand smoke at home and in the car remains common, a major new survey has found.

According to the findings, young people who want to smoke also find it easy to buy cigarettes themselves or get someone else to buy them.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Department of Health and looked at the health of children and teenagers in 2014. This is the fifth time that data of this kind has been collected, with previous similar surveys carried out between 1998 and 2010.

There were two parts to the survey - one focused on children aged 10 to 17, while the other focused on children in 3rd and 4th class in primary school, who were aged between eight and 10. Over 13,600 pupils from 230 primary and secondary schools took part.

The study of 10-17-year-olds revealed that since the last survey in 2010, there had been an decrease in levels of smoking and drunkenness, although boys and older children were more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and use cannabis.

However, despite this decrease in smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke at home and in cars was reported as common. Furthermore, 33% of boys and 26% of girls said that it was easy to buy cigarettes, while 58% of boys and 59% of girls said that it was easy to get someone else to buy them in most local shops where they lived or went to school.

When it came to diet and exercise, fruit and vegetable consumption had increased since 2010, while consumption of sweets and soft drinks had decreased. However the survey did note that more young people were dieting in 2014 compared to 2010.

The survey also noted ‘worrying levels of children' going to bed or school hungry and these figures have remained the same since 2010.

Physical activity levels meanwhile also remained stable between 2010 and 2014, with boys, younger children and children from higher social classes reporting higher levels of exercise.

The survey also found that the proportion of young people aged between 15 and 17 who had ever had sex increased from 23% in 2010 to 27% in 2014. Among these 33% said that they had used the pill the last time they had sex, while 73% said they had used a condom.

When it came to bullying, the survey found that the proportion of children who had been in a physical fight had fallen since 2010 and the number of overall children who said they had been bullied had remained stable.

It also noted that with cyberbullying, girls and older children were more likely to be victims.

The survey also revealed that almost 20% of young people were not wearing seatbelts when they travelled in cars, a figure the Department of Health described as ‘disappointing'.

The survey of 3rd and 4th class children meanwhile found that:
-Fruit and vegetable consumption increased between 2010 and 2014
-Sweets and sugary drink consumption fell
-The number of children not eating breakfast on any day of the week increased
-There was a fall in children who had ever reported smoking. Children were more likely to be current smokers if they were from lower social classes
-The number of children being bullied did not differ much between 2010 and 2014.

Commenting on the findings, the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said that lifestyle patterns ‘are set at an early age'.

"Chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiac disease can develop out of lifestyle choices. The survey gives us an insight into the attitudes and behaviours of children on very important issues. There are lots of positive findings, with a rise in fruit and veg consumption, and a drop in sweet consumption.

"The reported levels of general health are good. But there are some worrying findings on drinking, smoking, and hunger. This information will be very useful in adapting the Government approach to the realities of young people today," he said.

The survey was carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway.