Survey Shows Taiwan Has 80,000 Adolescent Smokers|受同儕.家長影響 逾8萬青少年吸菸

Would you ever approve of parents handing their children cigarettes? A recent survey found Taiwan has over 80,000 adolescent smokers. The survey also showed that their smoking habits are influenced by peer pressure and parents. So far this year, Tainan City has already fined three parents for providing cigarettes to their children.


Some parents who are smokers leave their cigarettes lying around the house, making it easy for their children to get their hands on cigarettes. This type of behavior is against the law. Tainan City's Public Health Bureau has already fined 30 underage smokers this year. In three of these cases, the cigarettes were provided by parents. Last year, Kaohsiung City reported four of these cases, and issued fines of between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.

Parents who are smokers, please keep watch over your cigarette packs to ensure adolescents won't take cigarettes when you're not around them.

A Health Promotion Administration survey found Taiwan has over 80,000 adolescent smokers. The survey also discovered that the smoking habits of adolescents are influenced by peer pressure and parents. Meanwhile, Tainan City's Public Health Bureau compiled data and found that 50 percent of adolescent smokers get their cigarettes from peers, 40 percent from stores and 10 percent from parents.

Teaching by example is really important. If parents serve as role models for their children, they will follow their example. I think parents should set an example.

Smoking will leave odors on the clothes and stain hands, and parents should notice these things and take preventative measures.

Health officials remind the public that if adolescents don't have planned activities during the summer, they may be easily enticed by cigarettes. Parents can make lifestyle changes and pay closer attention to their children to ensure they don't become smokers.