Smoke-free kids
tobacco; smoking; cigarettes; passive; addiction; cancer; heart; disease; quit; stress; smoke; teeth; tooth; decay ;
Contents
This topic is aimed at providing parents, grandparents and care-givers of children and young people with information about the impact of smoking, and passive smoking, on health. Discover reasons why children and young people start smoking and what you can do to help your children and young people be non-smokers.
Note: It is unlawful for cigarettes to be sold or supplied to children under 18 years of age.
It is also illegal, in South Australia, to smoke in a car if there are children in the car.
Impact of smoking
- Tobacco smoking is the largest single preventable cause of disease and death in Australia and most of the developed world today.
- Men and women are now smoking at similar rates. The rate for men has decreased over time.
- Young people who start smoking and continue to smoke are at much greater risk of dying early from tobacco related illnesses than non-smokers.
Impact of passive smoking
- When someone smokes, invisible particles from tobacco smoke mix with the surrounding air. This can be called passive smoke, second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Breathing in this air is called passive smoking.
- Passive smoking can cause:
- increased risk of lung disease, lung cancer and heart disease in adults
- increased risk of chest infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and ear infections in children
- irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and airways
- a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- an increase in the number of children with asthma and more serious attacks of asthma
- an increase in dental decay.
Why young people start
- Research shows that 8 out of 10 people who smoke, start smoking before they are 18 years old.
- There is a difference in the way young people and adults view health. Young people are more concerned with what affects them personally in the short term, such as relationships, how they look (clothes, weight, skin problems) and emotional difficulties. They worry less about the future.
- Many things make it more likely that a young person will start smoking, including:
- having family members and friends who smoke
- having peers who smoke
- coming from lower socioeconomic groups
- seeing smoking in the media, especially smoking in movies
- having low self esteem and confidence
- wanting to make a statement about who they are - rebellion, or smoking because they see it as an adult behaviour
- beliefs about 'benefits' of smoking - eg smoking as a stress reliever and for weight control.
What you can do to help your child stay a non-smoker
- Set a healthy example by not smoking, or if you do, talk about how you feel about it.
- Keep your home smoke free. If you choose not to do this, smoke outside or in one room only.
- It is now illegal in South Australia to smoke in a car if there are children in the car.
- Talk with them about the dangers of smoking and listen to what they have to say. Be available when they are ready to talk about any health issue.
- Trust your children to make their own decision.
- Support smoking prevention programs and "No Smoking" policies in schools.
If you think your child may be smoking
- If your children smoke support them to quit and to recognise that it takes more than the first try. Young people can become addicted to the nicotine quickly. Have a look at the topics 'Smoking' and 'Giving up smoking' in the Teen Health section of this site)
- Focus on the immediate effects of smoking – these may be more relevant to young people. For example the smell, decreased fitness and the effects of smoking on the skin, hair and teeth could be highlighted.
- Young women may be interested to know that smoking increases the risk of period pain and heavy periods.
- Talk about how much smoking costs and how much they would have to spend on other things.
- Encourage children and young people to find alternatives to smoking, where they can achieve independence and self esteem without feeling the need to smoke to become popular, such as:
- team sports (netball, football, soccer, basketball, etc)
- rock-climbing
- bush walking
- music
- movies
- computer games.
Myths and realities
The following are incorrect beliefs that some young people have about smoking.
- "I can quit easily when I'm older" (Female, 15 years)
The longer you smoke the harder it is to quit. A lot of adult smokers thought it would be easy to quit smoking whenever they wanted to, but they were wrong. It can be really hard. Do it now!
- "I don't smoke enough to get addicted" (Male, 14 years)
Nicotine can be as addictive as heroin. Addiction means relying on something that you and your body find hard to give up. You can become addicted more quickly than you think!
- "Smoking won't do anything to me until I am older" (Male, 16 years)
Unhealthy looking skin, shortness of breath, wheezing, reduced fitness, more coughs and colds, yellow stained teeth and foul smelling breath happen to even the youngest smokers almost straight away. Cancers and heart disease take longer to show up, but the earlier you start to smoke, the sooner they start to damage your body.
- "I'll put on weight if I stop smoking" (Female, 15 years)
Snacking on fresh fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products and being active with your friends (instead of replacing cigarettes with fattening foods), will keep those kilos away and take your mind off reaching for a cigarette.
- "Smoking helps me cope with stress and calms my nerves" (Female, 16 years)
Smokers do feel calmer while they are smoking but the nicotine is a stimulant that actually places your body under unnecessary stress by increasing your blood pressure and heart rate. This means your body has to work harder. Try not to use smoking as a distraction or as a way to relax. Instead go for a walk, talk to friends, listen to music or go to the movies to take your mind off your worries.
(Reference: 'Smarter than smoking, Western Australian Young People Smoking Project').
Some good news!
- There are now more Australians who have quit smoking than Australians who smoke.
- There are a lot of children who try smoking but don't go on to be regular smokers.
- Evidence exists that the longer children and young people stay non-smokers the more likely it is that they will continue to not smoke.
- The bad effects on your health are reduced whenever you quit smoking.
Resources
South Australia
General
References
Department of Health SA 'Tobacco Control in South Australia' http://www.tobaccolaws.sa.gov.au/
Quit SA Information Sheets and Brochures, including 'Passive smoking', 'Tobacco and the law'.
http://www.quitsa.org.au/aspx/information_sheets.aspx
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.