Many schoolchildren will at one time or another smoke, usually to follow others in their peer group or because they see it as acceptable, as their parents smoke at home. Mum and Dad wouldn't do something that would hurt themselves would they?
Children, especially in their early years, learn from example. How do you teach the dangers of smoking if you are hooked yourself?
Most people today are aware, at least, of some of the risks of smoking and an increasing amount of adults are trying to kick the habit either by themselves or by attending organized groups for support. Although this is good what we really need to do, I believe, is to stop people from starting in the first place and this means educating our children.
When I was at school we had a graphic talk about the dangers of smoking complete with a film of a man struggling to talk through a tracheotomy. That was enough to put me off for life, even though my father smoked. However time has moved on and I am not sure that would be enough for our children today.
But we need to do something. We need to start young and repeat the message regularly, telling it how it is, talk about the risks, the unpleasant side and the cost to the rest of their lives. Introduce them to someone struggling to live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD - a permanent, irreversible lung condition, leading to a slow and agonising death). These may be shock tactics, but if they work it will be worth it.
We also need to make it much more difficult for children to purchase cigarettes, just as we are making it more difficult for adults to smoke in social places with the ban coming in in July this year (England, UK).
We have a duty to protect our children and keep them healthy and we need to do it now!
