Teenagers smoked by their parents and caregivers are four times more likely to smoke, according to a new campaign that requires adults to quit smoking to set a good example for their children.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) BetterHealth Smoke Free campaign takes advantage of the peak of traditional New Year’s solutions in smoking cessation attempts to explore the impact of smoking parents’ habits on their children. The purpose is to encourage you to do so.
Nick Hopkinson, a professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London (ICL), said: Movies released with the campaign.. ICL researchers looked at data from a Millennium Cohort study of children born in 2000. We found that those aged 11 to 15 years who smoked their primary caregivers were more than twice as likely to smoke (26% vs. 11%). ) And four times more likely to be a regular smoker (4.9% vs 1.2%).
“Parents probably don’t understand how their smoking affects their children’s smoking status and, of course, their thinking about tobacco availability,” Hopkinson said. Said.
This four-fold increase in smoking among smoker children is significantly higher than previously estimated.For example, a 2010 assessment by the Royal College of Physicians showed a 72% increase. Danger Among children who have at least one parent who smokes.
“This new analysis is evidence that as the number of parents who continue to smoke decreases, the relative risk to children in smoking households increases. It is not clear why this needs to be clear. It is clear that the number of children whose caregivers smoke is twice as high. The more likely they are to try smoking, the greater the risk that they will become regular smokers, 4 of those who do not smoke. It’s twice as likely, “commented Deborah Arnott, Chief of Action on Smoking &. health..
“Parents who smoke need to be particularly worried, because, as their own experience shows, once you become a regular smoker, it’s very difficult to quit,” she said.
“Our kids are watching what we’re doing more than they’re listening to us,” said child psychologist Dr. Betina Ho-nen in the film. increase. She explained: “Even if you believe that you are hiding your smoking by not exposing your children directly to indirect smoking or by not smoking directly in front of them, that can have a big impact.
“It’s important to model the behavior you want your child to do, or you can tell it unknowingly. The behavior actually speaks louder than words, so if you don’t smoke, You can significantly reduce your chances of smoking. In the future. “
Secret smoker
The new campaign is also in the limelight Recent research by NatCen Social Research, This indicates that family characteristics support smoking behavior, and children aged 10 to 15 years may smoke if parents are currently smoking or have smoked in the past. It will be higher. Young smokers were most likely to start smoking at the age of 12-13 And, decisively, among more than half of young smokers, the most common means of accessing tobacco was from other people, including family and friends.
About half of the young people who smoked were secret smokers, and their families were unaware that they were smoking. About 40% said they were trying to quit smoking if their families knew it. In contrast, almost all young people (99%) who did not smoke said they would stop them once their parents started.
“Most people are aware of the dangers of a second smoke, but the impact of parents as a role model should not be overlooked,” said OHID Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Co-Leader. increase. “Every parent wants the best for their child and doesn’t want to be a smoker. By quitting smoking now, parents can break through family smoking patterns and protect their children across generations. , You can improve your health. “
“Smokers shouldn’t wait until they become parents and then quit smoking. If you want to become a parent, quit smoking now. Smokers are non-smokers 2 You may have double the problem of infertility. This is not only for men but also for women. Also be aware that the more cigarettes you smoke each day, the greater your risk of developing infertility problems. Worth it. Even if you get pregnant abortion Stillbirth is much higher in pregnant smokers or women smoking by their partners than in nonsmokers. “
The campaign was conducted because the latest data from the Office for National Statistics show that one in eight adults in the UK is still smoking. Despite the high smoking cessation rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of recurrence is also high and there are signs of an increase in smoking prevalence among young adults. Through the “Better Health” campaign, smokers will receive local smoking cessation services, the NHS Smoking Cessation App, Facebook Messenger Bot, Stoptober Facebook Online Community, Daily Email and SMS, and Online Personal Smoking Cessation Plans.
Maggie Throup, Under Secretary of State and Minister of Vaccines and Public Health, said in the announcement: The new campaign will emphasize the link between generations of smoking and will give parents an additional motivation to abandon tobacco this year by influencing their children. “
