Children become aware of smoking at an early age. Three-quarters of children know about cigarettes before the age of five whether or not their parents smoke.
To reduce the overall number of people who smoke in Rotherham, we don't only need to help people to stop smoking; we also need to prevent young people from starting to smoke.
Most secondary schools in Rotherham run the Smokefree Class Competition, which promotes the benefits of being a non-smoker, rather than just talking about the dangers of cigarettes. It aims to give young people the confidence to not give in to peer pressure to smoke and makes them realise that most people their age are non-smokers too.
Nationally there are organisations that work with young people to raise awareness of the impact of smoking and the tobacco industry.
Last reviewed: 11/08/2010
