'My Mum and Dad said it Calms You Down': Children's Perceptions of Smoking as a Coping Strategy

Abstract

While studies have shown that adults use smoking to deal with stress, little research has been carried out with children to explore their perceptions of smoking as a coping strategy. Qualitative questionnaire and interview data were generated with children aged 9–11 years. Participants perceived that adults smoked to relieve boredom and stress, and suggested that children might smoke for the same reasons. Children were more likely to know that adults smoked to deal with stress if they lived in a deprived area. Girls were more likely to believe that some children need to smoke as a coping strategy.

Disadvantaged youth and smoking in mature tobacco control contexts: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research

“…Smoking was associated with group bonding and was a currency of social capital in communities in which many other forms of social capital were absent; it was embedded in processes of social inclusion within a context of wider social exclusion. In stigmatised communities with few leisure choices and high stress levels, smoking both compensated for exclusion and was a way to engage in caring and emotional support 48 52–54 58 62 63 67. Stead et al 49 reported on shared approaches to prioritising and ensuring cigarette supply, a practice which facilitated a sense of community and belonging.…”