Study: Parents who smoke pass on habit to children

By Staff Writer

Parents' smoking habits can significantly enhance the likelihood of their children using tobacco products, according to new research.

The study, which appears in the journal Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, is based on data from the British Household Panel Survey, which was conducted between 1994 and 2002. The research included homes where both parents were present as well as single-parent households.

The survey revealed that gender played a critical role in the generational transmission of smoking habits. Sons were more likely to smoke if their father smoked, and daughters were more likely to pick up the unhealthy behavior if their mother smoked cigarettes.

When both parents smoked, their kids were twice as likely to smoke cigarettes during adolescence or adulthood than those who had non-smoking parents. About 24 percent of sons who had two smoking guardians went on to use tobacco, compared to only 12 percent of boys with non-smoking parents. Approximately 23 percent of daughters with two smokers in their home acquired the habit, compared to 12 percent of girls in a non-smoking home.

Adolescents who have addictive behaviors may benefit from tough love. Parents may consider not allowing their problem teens to hang out with other kids who smoke, or perhaps educating them about the dangers of cigarettes.