Published: Thursday, 15th March, 2007 12:00
Eight-year-olds getting hooked on nicotine – expert
By Laura Cummings
Print Article
WEST FIFE children as young as eight are getting hooked on cigarettes, an expert has claimed.
And specialist nurse James McAteer believes health education now needs to tackle younger age groups to stub out the problem.
Mr McAteer, smoking cessation specialist with Dunfermline and West Fife Community Health Partnership, says primary pupils who smoke are running a huge risk of developing heart disease and cancer in later life.
A former smoker himself, Mr McAteer (48) told the Press, “Most of the kids I speak to say they started smoking at a primary school age.
“We need to tackle the problem of smoking at a younger age by stopping children from taking it up in the first place.”
Mr McAteer is urging parents and schools to provide more information on the dangers in a form that very young children understand.
“Sometimes trying to give a 12-year-old adult information is a waste of time,” he said.
Mr McAteer hopes to put together a drama project with Dunfermline High School pupils by the end of the year to help youngsters relate to the health problems associated with smoking. He plans to extend this to primary schools.
The first point of contact for pupils who are trying to bin the cigs is the school nurse; a smoking cessation clinic, which are located at all GP practices in Dunfermline and Rosyth, as well as others in Fife, comes next.
Children aged 12 and over attend the clinics to discuss the dangers of smoking and the issues surrounding their reasons for starting.
Those with a smoking addiction can be offered help with nicotine replacement therapy. Under-12s can also attend the clinic with an adult.
Mr McAteer started smoking at the age of 12, kicking the habit almost three decades later, aged 39.
He laughed, “Smoking was more fashionable in my day in the ’70s and it was part of growing up.”
Mr McAteer also speaks to pupils at Dunfermline and Woodmill high schools every week about the dangers of smoking, and says the group of 14-16 year-olds have responded well to his informative sessions.
Dr David Alexander, of the Nethertown Surgery, Dunfermline, said he wasn’t surprised to hear that children as young as eight were getting addicted to cigarettes.
He added that, as children of this age were accompanied by a parent when they visit the doctor, they would never admit to smoking.
“We believe that this does go on and support trying to prevent children from starting smoking through more and better education in schools,” he said.
According to recent statistics released by Action on Smoking and Health, nine per cent of 11-15 year olds were regular smokers in 2005.
To mark National No Smoking Day yesterday (Wednesday), Dunfermline MSPs Scott Barrie and Helen Eadie have lobbied health minister Andy Kerr to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18.
It was announced yesterday that funding for smoking cessation services in Fife was being increased by 41 per cent to £462,000.
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
'Too sexy' shop finally opens in Dunfermline