Tobacco Documents Online

HEEFtALD-NFWS Passaic, New Jersey December 28 , 1961 How Do You Discourage Teens From Smoking If.You S'moke?- . How can, teen-agers be dis- couraged from smoking when they see their parents and'other respected adults addicted! to the habit and enjoying it? A reasonable answer to this thorny question is offered in a recent report on "Sinoking and the Adolescent" issued by New York University's School of Edu- rartionl The report summarizes the findings and conclusions of a group of 1'7' professionals-- public health, workers, teachers, and school administrators-who took part last August in the first c•ollege workshop on the subject. "We recognized that smoking a a common activitj+, one which i not immoral andi is indulged ~n every, day by perfectly nice 7,cople,' says Dr. Roscoe C. F:rown, Jr., NYU professor of, rducation who conducted the t.no-week workshop session. "HOWEVER, we should put the question of smoking, in per- spective for young people by pointing out to them that most adult smokers acquired the habit' lbr.g before today's eatensive sci- cntific data was available to link =moking andi disease;°' he added. "Our attempt at this rational approach to teen-age smoking- .ind non-smoking-is based'on the belief that a direct relationship exists between smoking andilung cancer and coronary heart dis- ca.oe: " In, support he quotes from statements and reports by such esteemed organizations as the American Cancer Society, the U. S. Public Health Service, the National Tuberculosis Associa- !ion, and the American Heart Association-plus the findings of'f numerous health and, seientific, groups abroad, including the, Health Council of Hoi9and„ the Medical Research Council of', Great Briiaon, the Research Councill af Sweden, and' a speciall s'.udy group of the United Na- tions World Health Organiza- tion. In the face of such impressive "hay-say.ing!' against smoking„ the teen-ager reasonably may ask, "Then why don't adults give up smoking for -their ow'p health and to set us a good ex- amnle°" "While we want, to influence the smoking behavior of teen- agers, it is essential to do so without caucin¢ thcrn to lese re- snect for their elders," Dr. Brown cautions. - CONSEQUENTLY he advises a atraightforward answer which should appeal to the budding, maturity of young people: it's aa hard I fact'thatonce~ smokingbe-comes a habit, It is difficult for most' people to give up-andi im- possible for some people: Such a response invites ther teen-ager to share in the adult recognition of human weak.- iness and to be tolerant of' his lelders rather than scornful of them for not renouncing a habit. which may be potentially harm- ful. ' "It is important for teen- lagers to understand why adullts smoke;" Dr. Brown says. "Un-~ fortunately„ youngsters associate. smoking with adulthood, and they may smoke in order to i feel like adults." The schools, he believes, have aresponsibitityto educate par- ents as weld as children on, the:t hazards of smoking, ~ As a basis for a school educa- tinnal program on smoking he suggests instead' the more prac- tical statement of' the American Cancer Society: If you don't smoke - don't. start. If you smoke-stop. If you can't stop-smoke mod- ierately. A school program should use- Ithree approaches: abstention, de- lay and control, he suggests:. In junior andi senior high schools the primary emphasis should be on developing, an atti- Itud'e in students against taking tip smoking, and a secondary approach should be towards de- lay-meaning a delay in the stu- dent's decision whether to smoke or not to smoke. In senior high schools where students may already have started,to smnke, control should be emphasized as a lesss de- sirable but, nnnetheless acoepta- hle method of helping premenY disrase.