‘Smokefree Generation’ wants parents to quit
Nine out of 10 children want their parents to give up smoking – and never want to try a cigarette themselves, according to government research.
The poll questioned 1,000 children aged between eight and 13. Of those with a parent who smokes, 96 per cent wanted them to quit, and two thirds would give up extra pocket money if they would.*
Changing attitudes mean that many children now regard smoking as 'uncool', leading them to put pressure on their parents to stop.
The latest Information Centre statistics on tobacco, which show that the number of 11 to 15 year olds smoking regularly has halved since its peak in the 1990s, have reinforced the emerging image of a ‘smokefree’ generation.
Forty per cent of children said they have at least one parent who smokes. And three quarters of those whose parents smoke in the car admitted to being concerned about the damage it was doing to their health.
Professor Terence Stephenson, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “This research is extremely significant and we need to look at the health outcomes and effects when adults smoke in the presence of their children.
“It is encouraging to hear that those children who were consulted knew the health risks related to smoking and the harmful effects of people smoking around them.
“It is particularly concerning that adults are still smoking in cars when children are travelling with them in the back. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death.”
There are a number of products that can help to tackle nicotine addiction, including chewing gum, patches and inhalers.
But there are alternative methods which, combined with willpower and motivation, are believed to help kick the habit.
One such treatment is acupuncture, which can help to tackle addiction. Practised in China for 3,000 to 4,000 years, acupuncture involves placing needles on the skin to stimulate nerves and muscles, targeting pain and problems in the body and brain.
Many of Westfield’s health cash plans cover the cost of acupuncture, up to set limits, when a GP or consultant recommends treatment.
Reference:
* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6174160/Nine-in-10-children-do-not-want-parents-to-smoke.html
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