Our free newsletter
offers tips and tools
you need to create
a happier and
healthier family!

Categories


All Articles
CALL: (888) 972-7736

Therapeutic schools can prevent preteens from becoming smokers

By Staff Writer

A new study suggests that if parents believe their teens are around cigarettes on a regular basis, due to friends or family members who smoke, they may want to consider enrolling them in therapeutic schools. Getting youths away from nicotine can prevent them from becoming smokers in the future.

Researchers from Concordia University and the University of Montreal said that based on their study results, exposure to secondhand smoke can cause symptoms of nicotine dependencies in non-smoking preteens. Additionally, youths who consistently watch friends or family members smoke are more likely to pick up the habit in the future.

The senior author of the study said that about 60 percent of children are exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke in North America. This can be detrimental to youths, as they absorb nicotine in higher doses than adults, even when they are exposed to the same amount.

Being around a high level of nicotine can lead to addiction to the substance, despite the fact that the child has never actually smoked a cigarette.

In order arrive at these results, researchers questioned 327 sixth- and seventh-graders about their smoking habits and the people who smoke around them. These children also provided spit and hair samples so researchers could study their levels of cotinine and nicotine.

Share |