One in three children leaves the room when parents light a cigarette

Over half of parents who smoke are told by their children that
they should quit, and a third say their children leave the room
when they light up, according to a new survey on children’s
attitude to smoking.

The survey was part of the latest government campaign to
encourage parents to stop smoking round their children. As part of
the campaign, new bibs with slogans about secondhand smoking are
being given to every baby born this month in England. The bibs are
being distributed to heads of midwifery, local Tobacco Control
Alliances and NHS Stop Smoking Services.

The survey showed that three quarters of parents who smoke say
they worry about smoking near their children, and nearly nine out
of 10 are concerned about their children becoming smokers.

Children of smokers are more likely to develop asthma than
others, and children with asthma who live in a house with two
smokers are nearly five times more likely to be absent from school
because of breathing difficulties.