Children’s Idea about Cigarettes and Smoking

Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking is attributed to pediatric disease and pediatric epidemics. This study aimed to indicate the attitudes of four-to six-year-old children toward cigarettes. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted by a questionnaire in 2011. Hundred and forty-five, children, aged four to six years, were randomly selected from eight kindergartens located in all four areas of Ahvaz. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze demographic data, Chi-square test to compare qualitative variables and Pearson correlation coefficient to compare quantitative data. Results: Results of the study showed that 76.4% of children knew what a cigarette is; 41.2% had talked about smoking with their parents; 1.4% had asked to buy one due to the attractive appearance of cigarette packs; 27.8% imitated the act of smoking. Children's attitude toward smoking showed that 1.4% of them took smoking as a good act, 91.4% believed that smoking was a bad act and 7.1% had no idea about smoking. Conclusions: Since parents' behaviors affect their children, it is advisable to implement effective interventional programs to increase parents' awareness about smoking and its harmful environmental effects.

The Effect of Life Skills Training on Social Communication of Clients Referring to Drug Abuse Clinics

“…To prevent expansion of addiction at different levels, implementation of such programs in Iran is recommended (48)(49)(50). Since the authors found no similar studies on the effectiveness of life skills education program in social relationships of drug addicts in Iran and this method is barely known in Iran, the present study tried to introduce the program as an affordable and feasible approach.…”