Children don’t want their parents to smoke

Published on September 22, 2009 10:59 AM

Children unlike adults don’t like the cigarettes smoke. A recent study found that nine out of 10 children never want to try a cigarette and want their parents who smoke to quit too.

The new generation of children is growing up considering that smoking is not cool, and is urging pressure on their parents to quit, ministers explained. A study which enrolled 1,000 children aged between eight and 13 years old with parents who smoke, found that 96 percent wanted them to stop and almost two thirds would give up the opportunity of extra pocket money if they would.

The results were released in combination with a series of new adverts. Researchers showed that four out of 10 children said they have at least one parent who smoke, with half doing so in the home and a third doing so in the car. Three quarters of children whose parents smoke in the car were interested about damage to their health.

Gillian Merron, Public Health Minister said: "We understand how difficult it is to stop smoking. I hope this new campaign will give mums and dads the encouragement they need to realize they can do it with help from the NHS, and support from their children. You are four times more likely to quit if you use the free NHS stop smoking service. The facts are clear – every week 2,000 people die from smoking-related diseases, which have a ravaging effect on children’s lives."

The health risks of smoking are clear to kids with nine out of ten knowing it damages the health of people around them and three quarters know that is causes cancer. Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive, Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) said: "These powerful new adverts are about tapping into emotions that children of smoking parents are experiencing on a day-to-day basis. This campaign gives smokers a clear motive as to why they should quit and a clear guide as to how they should do so – using free local NHS support."

Researchers concluded that they remained very satisfied because those children who were consulted knew the health risks related to smoking and the harmful effects of people smoking around them.
Because of the second-hand smoke effects, such as chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death, parents should quit right now.