Department of Health figures also show that the number of teenage pregnancies has dropped dramatically over a 40-year period, with abortions in recent years also showing a decline.
Phoebe Thompson, editor of Premier Youthwork Magazaine thinks a number of factors are behind the changes in teenage behavior, on Premier's 'News Hour' programme, she said: "the government has taken to make smoking less appealing by covering packets and also putting the long term effects on there, and also the rise of contraception and better sex education probably has contributed to the lowering of teenage pregnancies".
According to the Daily Mail, Jane Ellison, the public health minister, commented: 'Trends in the drinking, smoking and teenage pregnancy rates for young people are very encouraging.
'Figures show pregnancy in under-18s is at its lowest rate for 40 years and the numbers of young people drinking and smoking are also falling.'We know that we can't be complacent though. Young people who adopt healthy lifestyles early on can use them as a building block for success, using that resilience to get on in life.'
Phoebe Thompson, Premier Youthwork Magazaine: