By Children four times more likely to smoke if their parents smoke
According to a new government campaign, teenagers whose parents smoke are four times more likely to pick up the habit themselves.
The Better Health Smoking campaign said that 4.9% of teenagers whose parents smoke have taken up smoking, whereas only 1.2% of teenagers whose parents do not smoke have taken up smoking.
A new film issued by the NHS sees health experts discuss the link between adult smoking and children taking up smoking.
The Better Health Smoke-Free campaign highlights research that shows the impact adult smokers have on the young people in their lives.
In the film, GP Dr Nighat Arif and child psychologist Dr Bettina Hohnen call on parents to make a new year resolution to quit for good to help both their own health and the health of their children.
Prof Nick Hopkinson and Dr Anthony Laverty, both from Imperial College London, also joined the calls from experts for parents to quit smoking.
Health Minister Maggie Throup said that she hopes this research will give parents extra motivation to quit smoking.
She added that the new campaign highlights “the inter-generational smoking link with parents influencing their children” and this could be “the added motivation many need to ditch the cigarettes for good this year”.
The health minister said that there was help and support available for parents, carers and anyone looking to quit smoking, “including the NHS Quit Smoking app, support on Facebook, daily emails and texts, and an online Personal Quit Plan”.
The NHS Quit Smoking app tracks daily progress, offers support, and even tracks how much money you save by not buying cigarettes.
The NHS Quit Smoking website also offers free advice and guidance on which quitting methods are best suited to each individual and where to find your local support centre.
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