How to make sure your child avoids smoking

THE number of 10 to 17-year-olds currently smoking fell from 18% to 12% from 2002 to 2010, according to the 2010 Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey.

Last week, UNICEF’s league table for child well-being in industrialised countries (Report Card 11 — Child well-being in rich countries) found almost 6% of Ireland’s 11, 13 and 15-year-olds smoke cigarettes at least once a week, better than more than 20 other countries.

Dr Ross Morgan, chairperson of Ash Ireland and a consultant respiratory physician in Beaumont Hospital, points out that over 80% of smokers start in their teenage years. And, with more than 5,000 people dying annually in Ireland from smoking-related illnesses, the tobacco industry is under growing pressure to find new consumers. An obvious market is the youth sector.