Return
Parents' Antismoking Practices Can Reduce Risk of Smoking in
Teens
Parents who take a firm stance on certain smoking issues may help
prevent
smoking in their teens, say researchers from the University of Washington in
Seattle.
Researchers conducted a 15-year study of smoking habits in 3,555 students and
parents in 20 Washington State school districts, beginning when the students
were in 3rd grade. When the students were in 11th grade, their parents answered
questions about their personal smoking habits and whether they currently or had
ever smoked cigarettes. In addition, parents noted whether they allowed smoking
in their homes, whether they ever used nonsmoking sections of restaurants, and
whether they asked others not to smoke in their presence. A year later, the 12th
grade students answered questions about whether they smoked regularly,
occasionally, or not at all.
Teens of parents who said they had rules about smoking in their homes, who
used nonsmoking sections of restaurants, and who asked others not to smoke in
their presence were significantly less likely to smoke than teens of parents who
didn't take these actions. Even parents who smoked themselves but still had
no-smoking rules in the house and used the nonsmoking sections of restaurants
were more likely to have teens who didn't smoke on a daily basis.
What This Means to You:
Avoiding or quitting smoking is probably the
single most important thing you can do to ensure your child never starts the
health-harming habit. But taking an antismoking stance in your home, using the
nonsmoking sections of restaurants, and asking others not to smoke in front of
you are also important actions that you can take to help prevent your teen from
smoking. According to the findings of this study, parents who take an
antismoking stance may delay a teens' experimentation with tobacco or the daily
or monthly use of cigarettes.
Source: M. Robyn Andersen, PhD, MPH; Brian G. Leroux, PhD; Jonathan B.
Bricker, MS; Kumar Bharat Rajan, MS; Arthur V. Peterson, Jr, PhD; Archives of
Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, April 2004
Reviewed by: Steven
Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2004