A study by researchers at Dartmouth College revealed that children with parents who smoked were four times more likely to purchase cigarettes, as compared to children with non-smoker parents.

The findings - acquired through a role play scenario - suggest that children are highly attentive to their parents' smoking habits.

They are then more likely to regard smoking as appropriate and normal behaviour in social settings, resulting in a higher likelihood of them picking up the habit later on in life.

The results of the study appear to be congruent with the findings of a Health Promotion Board survey, which showed that a significantly higher percentage of youth smokers (59 per cent) had at least one parent who smoked, as compared to the non-smokers (34 per cent).

To highlight the strong influence of parental smoking behaviour on smoking behaviours in children, HPB is launching an awareness campaign from today, in conjunction with the National Smoking Control Campaign

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