Young smokers feel no pressure

Published on Monday 19 January 2009 21:17

CHILDREN smoke because they enjoy it, and not because friends tell them it's "cool", a study published today shows.

They start smoking for their own desire and curiosity, rather than the traditional concept of being forced into it by "peer pressure".

The 11-year study, funded by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, found many adolescents smoked as a stress-reliever, or simply because they liked it and wanted to.

The researchers at Liverpool John Moores University also showed that smoking within families was a key influence, with many young people particularly highlighting their parents smoked as a coping strategy.

The study tracked 250 children from the ages of five to 16 to examine the factors that contribute to experimental smoking. The findings included that 99 per cent of regular smokers lived with at least one smoker and that young people aged 14-16 living in deprived areas were 95 per cent more likely to try smoking.

A researcher, Dr Susan Woods, said: "They say they enjoy it and get pleasure from it, even though they are aware of the health dangers. In fact, they have very good knowledge about the health dangers from primary school upwards, so the health messages are getting through."