Education and Child Matters

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Smoking

 

This webpage about smoking will discuss smoking and children in the following ways:

  1. Children under 18 years of age smoking cigarettes
  2. Children under 18 years of age inhaling second hand smoke (passive smoking)
  3. Smoking during pregnancy 
  4. Vaping

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY ABOUT SMOKING?

A child between 1 – 18 years of age can smoke a cigarette at any age but they cannot purchase cigarettes or any form of tobacco.

At 18 years, an individual can purchase cigarettes and smoke them. They can also purchase tobacco.

CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE SMOKING CIGARETTES

90% of the adults that smoke today started off when they were young. Many children start smoking between the ages of 10 years and 18 years.

Why do children start smoking? 

There are many reasons why children begin to smoke. They are:

  1. Their parents smoked around them.
  2. Peer pressure
  3. Boredom
  4. Helps cope with stress 
  5. Helps them relax
  6. To be rebellious
  7. To fit in
  8. To act cool, tough and grown up
  9. To suppress appetite
  10. They have become addicted
  11. Act and appear older
  12. Feel independent

How does smoking harm your child’s health?

Cigarettes contain thousands of very harmful toxic chemicals that can harm the body. Some ways cigarette smoking can harm your child are:

  1. Lung disease
  2. Cancer (lung, throat, stomach, bladder)
  3. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  4. Chronic bronchitis
  5. Stroke
  6. Blood circulation issues
  7. Infections because of reduced immune system
  8. Ulcers
  9. Gum disease
  10. Eye disease
  11. Dental issues
  12. Heart disease
  13. Diabetes
  14. Joint problem such as arthritis
  15. Bad breath
  16. Smokers cough

How can you as a parent stop your child from smoking? – 

There are many things you can do:

  1. Make your home a smoke free home for everyone.
  2. Speak to them from a young age about the perils of smoking.
  3. Continue to speak to them throughout their childhood and into their teens about the harmful effects of smoking
  4. Discuss with your children what they will say when they are offered a cigarette and how to handle peer pressure. Discuss what they would say and how they would say no. Roleplay the scenarios.
  5. The best way to stop your child from caving under peer pressure is to build confidence in themselves from a young age.
  6. Be a good example yourself – either don’t smoke or don’t smoke around your child. If you do have to smoke, take it outside and away from them.
  7. Discuss the things that will impact them now if they smoke such as they will have less to spend on other things, they will smell bad, their clothes will smell, they will have bad breath and yellow teeth.
  8. Ask permission from a hospital to take your child and show them around the cancer ward to see the impact of smoking first hand.
  9. Encourage your child to do sports and other such activities that in their participation they are discouraged to smoke.
  10. If your child admits they do smoke and they want to give up, don’t judge them or make them feel bad, help them and guide them to stop.

CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE INHALING SECONDHAND SMOKE

What does inhaling second-hand smoke mean?

Inhaling second-hand smoke refers to breathing in exhaled smoke from the air after someone else has smoked or is smoking a cigarette in your vicinity. 

What is inhaling second-hand smoke also known as?

Another term for inhaling second-hand smoke is passive smoking.

What is the effect of second-hand smoke on an unborn child? – 

  1. Low birth weight
  2. Stillbirth
  3. Premature birth

What is the effect of second-hand smoke on babies and children? – 

  1. If a baby inhales second-hand smoke from their surroundings they are more prone to sudden infant death (SID) or cot death.
  2. Children have weaker lungs
  3. They are prone to middle ear infections such as glue ear
  4. Pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR PASSIVE SMOKING

How to make sure your child does not inhale second-hand smoke –

  1. Stop smoking in the vicinity of your child. In fact, stop all together if you can.
  2. Go outside and smoke
  3. Ask everyone else to go outside and smoke
  4. Do not smoke in the car

SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY

Why is a pregnant woman advised to not smoke during pregnancy?

There are so many harmful chemicals in a cigarette. These chemicals can cause damage to the unborn child’s lungs, brain and cause many birth defects. The carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke can reduce the oxygen supply to the unborn baby.

Smoking will also reduce nutrient supply through the placenta to the baby.

What other damage can smoking during pregnancy do?   

  1. It may cause miscarriage
  2. Stillbirth – where the baby can die in the womb or straight after birth
  3. Cleft lip
  4. Premature birth
  5. Low birth weight
  6. Weaker lungs
  7. Ectopic pregnancy – where the pregnancy grows outside the womb.

What long-term damage can smoking during pregnancy do to children?  

  1. They are prone to chest and ear infections as they get older.
  2. They are prone to pneumonia and bronchitis
  3. They are prone to asthma
  4. And prone to hyperactivity issues

Where can you get help if you are pregnant and want to stop smoking? – 

  1. You can contact your GP
  2. You can call the NHS smoking helpline 0300 123 1044
  3. Contact your local stop smoking service

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR BREASTFEEDING AND SMOKING

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL STOP SMOKING SERVICE

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR DOWNLOAD THE FREE NHS QUIT SMOKING APP

VAPING

What is vaping?

Vaping is the process of inhaling and exhaling vapour (into the mouth, throat and lungs) from an electronic device (with a mouthpiece) consisting of an atomiser, a battery. a heating element, and a cartridge full of liquid. It is different from smoking a cigarette where you inhale and exhale smoke. 

This vapour can be and often is flavoured. 

The electronic devices used for vaping are called e-cigarettes, mods, sticks, hookah sticks, JUULs, vape pens and electronic cigarettes.

Does vapour contain nicotine?

Yes it does. It also contain flavouring.

How does the electronic device work?

The battery in the device will heat up a liquid containing nicotine in the cartridge. The vapour produced is inhaled and exhaled by the user. This liquid is referred to as e-juice.

What does e-juice contain?

E-juice contains nicotine, glycol, propylene, chemicals and flavouring. The flavourings can contain chemicals such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, acrolein, diacetyl, THC and heavy metals.

Is vaping dangerous?

It is generally considered that vaping is less harmful than cigarettes. However, it is suggested that vaping could affect the the cells in the lungs, nose and throat and affect their effectiveness at preventing disease. Vaping could possibly cause the following:

  • lung injury
  • asthma
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • lung scarring – this is often permanent.
  • Eye irritation
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • organ damage
  • Evali – this is a lung condition caused by vaping. The symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain. fever, fast heartbeat, and coughing.
There is also the possibility of addition and second-hand exposure to vapour. 
 
Should a pregnant woman vape?
 
It is generally accepted that vaping is not safe for pregnant women. Due to the exposure to the mixture of chemicals, the baby can have low birth weight, brain and lung damage.
 
Teenagers and vaping
 
Vaping is in fashion and many teenagers also think it is harmless. They do not realise vaping is exposing their developing brains to an array of chemicals as well as nicotine.
 
The danger is that teenagers could start getting addicted to the nicotine and later in life move onto cigarettes.
 
 

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP SOMEONE STOP SMOKING

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR ADDICTION – WHAT IS IT?

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR STOP SMOKING TREATMENTS

The NHS website above details many treatments that are available to you to help you quit smoking, help beat your addiction to nicotine, and help with withdrawal symptoms. We can give you a brief overview here but please click on the NHS website above for further detail.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

NRT can be purchased as skin patches, chewing gum, nasal sprays, mouth sprays, tablets, oral strips, lozenges, and inhalators. All of these products have proven to be effective. 

They can be purchased from supermarkets, pharmacies, on prescription and from your NHS stop smoking service.

NRT products release nicotine slowly into your body, some NRT products acting faster than others. Unlike cigarettes the individual is not taking in tar, poisonous chemicals and carbon monoxide. NRT products can help smokers with withdrawal symptoms. Many people will use NRT products for up to 12 weeks.

If pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children between the ages of 12 – 18 years of age would like to use NRT products then they ,ust under the supervision of their GP or any medical doctor.

Occasionally NRT products can cause mild side effects. NRT patches can cause irritation of the skin. NRT nasal spray can cause irritation of the nose, throat and eyes. NRT products in general can cause an upset stomach, dizziness and headache.

Bupropion (Zyban)

You will need to contact your GP for this medicine as it is only available on prescription. It is best to start taking it 2 weeks before you intend to give up smoking. Treatment continues for up to 9 weeks. You will need to take 1-2 tablets every day.

Bupropion can have the following side effects – dizziness, constipation, headaches, dry mouth, insomnia, feeling sick and difficulty in concentrating. A serious side effect of bupropion can be serotonin syndrome (shivering, diarrhoea, increased heart rate, agitation, muscle rigidity, fever and seizures)

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR SEROTONIN SYNDROME – write up half way down webpage.

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR SIDE EFFECTS – SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children under 18 years of age, individuals suffering from epilepsy, bipolar, and eating disorders should not take bupropion. 

E-cigarettes

These are not available on prescription. An individual can smoke this electronic device but will only take in nicotine vapour. There is no tar, poisonous chemicals or carbon monoxide.

LINK TO NHS WEBSITE FOR USING E-CIGARETTES TO STOP SMOKING

WHO CAN A PARENT CONTACT FOR HELP AND SUPPORT IF THEIR CHILD IS SMOKING?

You can contact NSPCC – If your child is smoking you can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns. If the child is in danger they will call the police. 

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US

You can contact FAMILY LIVES – Family lives was previously known as parentline.  You can speak to them about your concerns that your child is smoking.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR FAMILY LIVES – CONTACT US 

You can contact your local authority child services – You can call them directly or look on their website to see if there are any local support groups where you can get support.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY

You can contact other organisations – 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO CONNECT WITH CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS THAT COULD HELP YOU.

WHERE CAN YOUR CHILD TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?

Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child is smoking and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CHILDLINE – CONTACT US