Exposure to smoking during school hours influences adolescent smoking behaviourAugust 27, 2002The years that a child spends in secondary education represent a crucial period of risk of incident smoking. Two studies in Tobacco Control suggest that exposure to smokers in school tutor groups and exposure to teachers smoking during school hours can influence the smoking behaviour of adolescents. In the first study, researchers surveyed 6,522 students (aged 11-16 years) in 10 secondary schools in Nottinghamshire, UK. When children move into secondary education in Nottinghamshire they join tutor groups of 20-30 students that are selected to promote mixing of children from different geographical areas and of different academic abilities. They found that incident smoking was more likely in children who join a tutor group with a high proportion of ever smokers. This effect accounted for one quarter of incident smoking in the first year of secondary school. Adolescent smoking is thus a communicable disorder, and may be preventable by measures that reduce exposure to other smokers, they conclude. A similar conclusion applies to teacher smoking. In the second study, Danish researchers surveyed over 1,515 students (aged 15-16 years) in 48 schools to determine whether adolescent smoking behaviour is associated with their perceived exposure to teachers or other students smoking at school. Three fifths of boys and girls reported that they had seen or knew of teachers smoking during the school day. The vast majority reported seeing or knowing of other students smoking outdoors on the school premises. Students' exposure to teachers smoking outdoors on school premises was significantly associated with smoking behaviour, but exposure to teachers smoking inside the school building was not. This suggests that teachers smoking a cigarette outdoors in the playground in front of students might be of greater importance than exposure to teachers smoking in the staff room. This finding has implications for future tobacco prevention strategies in schools in countries with liberal smoking policies, providing support for those working to establish smokefree schools, they conclude. British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
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