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Kids Worse Off with Smoking Parents

 

Smoker It is known that `passive smoking' can be bad for people’s physical health, but startling new research from Bournemouth University shows that passive smoking is also bad for a child's social and psychological well-being.


Based upon the responses to detailed, confidential and anonymous questions posed to over 830 teenagers (14-15 year olds) Professor Colin Pritchard and Dr Malcolm Cox from Bournemouth’s Institute of Health & Community Studies found that the children of parents who smoke had far worse problem behaviours than children from non-smoking homes. These problem behaviours range from binge drinking, drug experimentation, truancy and theft to vandalism, fighting and – crucially – under-age sex.

The findings, published in Adolescence and Alcohol: An international perspective (Freund Publishing), have prompted Professor Pritchard to call for more than just ‘physical health warnings’ that currently appear on cigarette packets.

“Children with smoking parents went binge drinking at almost twice the rate of non-smoking parents, double the drinking in pubs, higher use of cannabis and double the rate of hard drug misuse [17% to 6% - ratio of children who had smoking as opposed to non-smoking parents],” Professor Pritchard reveals. “They also are twice as likely to go truant and steal, cause more vandalism and, more importantly, 46% [to 18%] had under-age sex and 19% [to 6%] had unprotected sex".

“Whilst there are some socio-economic factors linked to these findings, smokers generally have less good jobs than non-smokers and have higher unemployment,” he continues. “It is not the economics as such, but it seems it is the message that these parents inadvertently give their children.

“We are not making any moral judgements, for we know that the vast majority of parents only want the best for their children, but parents who smoke should be aware of the linked consequences,” Professor Pritchard emphasises. “We have no doubt that most smoking parents want the best health outcomes for their chidlren, but if they are smoking at home, it becomes a case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’.”

Professor Pritchard and his colleague also argue that "it is important for parents and Government to understand the wider implications of smoking have upon children and every effort and resources should be made available to help the adults, kick a habit, which is of course, one of the longest lasting addictions".

Source
Cox M & Pritchard C (2006) Smoking Parents & the Drink, Drug & Sexual Activity of their Children in Kandel et al.
Adolescents and Alcohol: An international perspective (London, Freund Publishing) p125-138

CONTACTS

Bournemouth University Press office:

press@bournemouth.ac.uk

Charles Elder; Tel: +44 (0) 1202 961032; Mob: (07768) 771870

Zoë Monk ; Tel: +44 (0) 1202 961033; Mob: (07738) 143100

 

News 1st September 2006

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