FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

Adolescents and Smoking

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.

Note: It is unlawful for cigarettes to be sold or supplied to children under 18 years of age.

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 - e.g. smoking as a stress reliever and for weight control.

What you can do to help your child stays 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. 
• 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 child 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 child smokes, support them to quit and to recognise that it takes more than the first try. Young people can become addicted to the nicotine quickly 
• 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 them 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), bush walking, music, movies, and computer games.

Some good news!

• There are now more Australians who have quit smoking than Australians who smoke. 
• There are a lot of young people who try smoking but don't go on to be regular smokers. 
• Evidence exists that the longer 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.   

References:  www.cyh.com