Children of smokers are linked to bad behaviour
SMOKERS' children are more likely to binge drink, experiment with drugs, skip school, steal, vandalise and have under-age sex, according to a new study.
The survey of more than 830 teenagers found those whose parents smoked were generally worse behaved.
Professor Colin Pritchard, who led the study, today called for warnings about the social and psychological impact of smoking as well as the standard physical health warnings on cigarette packets.
"Children with smoking parents went binge drinking at almost twice the rate of non-smoking parents, double the drinking in pubs, higher use of cannabis and double the rate of hard drug misuse," he said.
"They also are twice as likely to truant and steal, cause more vandalism and, more importantly, 46 per cent, compared with 18 per cent of children of non-smoking parents, had under-age sex and 19 per cent, compared with six per cent, had unprotected sex.
"There are some socioeconomic factors linked to these findings - smokers generally have less good jobs than non-smokers and have higher unemployment.
"It is not the economics as such, but it seems it is the message that these parents inadvertently give their children.
"Parents who smoke should be aware of the linked consequences."
