Children whose parents smoke are four times as likely to take up smoking themselves

Top medical experts have warned that teens whose parents or caregivers smoked are four times as likely to have taken up smoking.

Analysis has also shown that early teens whose main caregiver smoked were more than twice as likely to have tried cigarettes (26% vs 11%) and four times as likely to be a regular smoker (4.9% vs 1.2%).

A new government Better Health Smoke Free campaign has launched as leading family doctors warn of the issues facing the children of smokers – and calls on people to help prevent this by quitting in January.

In a new film release on Tuesday (28 December), NHS and behavioural health experts discuss the link between adult smoking and the likelihood of children in their household becoming smokers.

This includes family GP Dr Nighat Arif, child psychologist Dr Bettina Hohnen, and smoking cessation experts Professor Nick Hopkinson and Dr Anthony Laverty of Imperial College London, who have called on parents in particular to give up smoking in the new year in order to set a good example to their children.

 

 

Dr Andrew Furber, North West regional spokesperson, said: “The start of a new year is a time when many of us take stock of our lives and make plans to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“There has never been a better time to stop smoking. Quitting tobacco is one of the best things you can do for your health, allowing you to start moving better, breathe more easily and save money.

“By stopping smoking, you'll be protecting the health of your non-smoking friends and family, too – especially children – as those who live with smokers are more likely to suffer from chest illnesses and develop lung cancer in later life.

“There is so much help and support available to help you give up smoking for good in 2022 – do it for yourself and your family.”

Recent research from NatCen Social Research has also shown children aged 10-15 were more likely to smoke if either their mother or father currently smoked. Children were also more likely to smoke if either parent had smoked in the past, even if they were not a current smoker.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer and joint lead for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparity, Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy said: “Smoking is terrible for your health but it also has a negative impact on people around you.

“Most people know the dangers of second-hand smoke but we should not overlook the impact that parents have as role models. Every parent wants what is best for their child and will not want them to become smokers.

“By stopping smoking now, parents can help break the pattern of smoking in their family across the generations, protect their children and improve their own health.”

The film forms part of the Better Health Smoke Free campaign from the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care, and aims to give smokers a strong motivation to quit in January, offering free and proven NHS resources and advice.

The campaign comes as the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that one in eight adults in England still smokes. There has been a complex picture of smoking patterns since the pandemic, with high rates of quitting but also high levels of relapse and signs of a rise in smoking rates among younger adults.

The Better Health campaign gives access to a range of free quitting support and tools including free expert help from local Stop Smoking Services, the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan.

Search “Smoke Free” for free and proven quit smoking tools and advice on different types of support, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) and e-cigarettes, to help you quit smoking.