Parents: If You Don't Want Your Kids To Smoke, Stop Yourself!

Attention parents! Your child might pick the habit of smoking by looking at you smoke. 89% of the teens in six different cities, including our national capital, admit to the fact that smoking is okay for them to do because their parents do it too. And, 46% of them believed that smoking makes them look cooler among their friends.

These results were based on a survey conducted by a private hospital to understand the smoking behavior in youth and what they thought about it. Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences department at Fortis conducted this survey among adolescents.

They interacted with school-going kids to check their attitude towards tobacco smoking. 1900 teens from six different cities- Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur and Chandigarh were chosen randomly to be a part of this study. They were all asked to fill up a survey including 13 questions.

It was found that 87% of the teens thought that watching celebrities smoke in movies promoted smoking in the audience. However, 78% also believed that celebrities featuring in quit smoking campaigns can be helpful. 75% teens felt that it was not easy to say 'no' to smoking in a group of friends when offered one and 53% felt that smoking helped them deal with stress and improve their concentration as well.

These results were calculated using statistical techniques and to understand the patterns to draw the interferences involved. These interferences were important as they could be used as an evidence to formulate regulatory measures in teens and controlling smoking in them.

Are you aware of these facts about smoking in teens?

1. 90% of the smokers began smoking before 19 years of age.

2. 30% of the teen smokers are likely to continue this habit and die early due to the same.

3. Teen smokers are more prone to panic attacks, depression and anxiety

4. Studies show that most of the tobacco smoking begins before completing high school studies.

5. A Surgeon General showed that teen smokers are 3 times more likely to consume alcohol, 8 times likelier to smoke marijuana and 22 times likelier to take cocaine.