NHS states youngsters worry about parents smoking

Youngsters are worried about their parents’ future due to the effects of smoking, it has been claimed.

This is the message of a new Smokefree campaign, launched today by the Department of Health, aimed at telling adults that their potentially lethal habit is a concern to their teenage children.

A recent study conducted on behalf of the NHS Stop Smoking Services revealed 88 per cent of adolescents are anxious about the damage their mothers and fathers are doing to their health by lighting up.

Paul Lambert, an adviser for the government body from Leeds, explained the younger generation takes more of an interest in the wellbeing of their family and friends than people often give them credit for.

He commented: “Many referrals to local NHS Stop Smoking Services are as a result of teenagers telling their parents what they need to know – that smoking is harming them and their loved ones.”

Smokers are more likely to successfully quit if they seek support, he concluded.

The NHS recently began a further scheme earlier this month to highlight the danger tobacco can have on unborn babies.