Preston children stop parents from smoking (assignment 2 - article 1)

Health experts say that smokers worrying that their children will take up the habit is the main incentive for them to quit.

An analysis of smokers in the Preston area has revealed that the majority of people who join the NHS Stop Smoking scheme are worried that their children will smoke too.

Results follow the release of this year’s ‘I wanna be like you’ TV campaign, which suggests that children want to be like their parents. The advert ends with a little girl pretending to smoke a crayon.

Helen McEwen of Preston’s NHS Stop Smoking service said: “A lot of people mentioned that one when they came into the service. They said children were one of the reasons they were quitting. It brought it to the forefront of their mind and they said ‘actually, this is quite serious’.”

"Scare tactics" shouldn't be the way

This campaign is one of the many "scare tactics" the NHS have used in recent years, another recent one being the "Scared" campaign. The television advertisement plays on the fact that children can be scared of their parents dying from smoking.

Miss McEwen said however that she did not feel scare tactics were the best way to tackle the issue of smoking. She said: “I don’t find scare tactics particularly useful. It depends what research you’re going from, some research shows that is useful, others do not.

“A lot of advisors go for the more motivational approach, ‘these are the benefits you’re going to get if you quit’ rather than ‘these are the scary things that happen’.”

Foster smoker ban

These aren’t the only schemes the NHS have been using to tackle the issue of children affected by smoking. Over the last year certain areas of Britain have seen smokers banned from fostering young children, unless there are “exceptional circumstances”.

The ban has taken place in select areas including Falkirk, Perth, Dundee, South Lanarkshire and even certain areas of London.

The Fostering Network have said however: “people who have the right skills and qualities to be a foster carer should not be put off from coming forward to care for older children if they have the occasional cigarette.”

The plan has been met with mixed responses from the public. Miss McEwen said: “It’s definitely beneficial in some ways because it’s making sure children aren’t in an environment of second hand smoke.

“Obviously there are some people who are extremely capable and fantastic foster parents who may happen to smoke. Maybe it should be more about looking at them and using it as a good time to quit.”

Lancashire people have also given mixed responses to the plans if they were to come here. Ben Higgins, a retired citizen from Southport said: “I think it should be taken into consideration because if people are smoking and the house is full of smoke then children are going to inhale it whether they want to or not.”

Sean Morgan, also retired, of Preston said: “As long as they’re loving parents, surely that’s the main thing isn’t it? You could get somebody who smokes but they might kick the hell out of the kids.”

(Picture - John.Karakatsanis)

HAVE YOUR SAY: What’s your view on the NHS Stop Smoking schemes? Do you think “Scare Tactics” are the best way to go about helping children who are affected by passive smoking?