A new report published last Monday on the attitude of Irish teenagers to smoking revealed that they see it as a means to being recognised by their peers, and that being socially accepted is more important than the danger smoking poses to their health.
The study, conducted with teenage smokers between the ages of 16 and 18 who buy their own cigarettes, also looked at how they respond to anti-smoking campaigns, especially the type of anti-smoking messages that they found effective.
Shockingly, many of the teenagers who took part in the survey said they started smoking when they were just 12 or 13 years of age. Worse still, while they admitted to not having a healthy lifestyle because they are “smoking too much, drinking too much and eating too much junk food,” none of them saw quitting smoking as a method of staying healthy.
In addition to teenagers drinking alcohol early in life, the study – part of the Pfizer ‘Way2Go’ scheme aimed at improving the health and well-being of children in Ireland – also found that living with parents who smoke is an influential factor in taking to the habit.
Teenage smokers’ health is adversely affected in life, the study findings show. Among other problems they face, some of the participants admitted feeling “breathless when walking,” the report stated. It is also disturbing that nearly 30 per cent of the participants said they attempted to give up smoking but couldn’t do so.
Metro Éireann believes that there is not enough support out there for such teenagers. Therefore we would urge the Office of the Minister for Children to take a more proactive stand on issues affecting Ireland’s children, especially on smoking and drinking.
editor@metroeireann.com
