Mom's cigarettes, Dad's beer can affect toddlers

[kombolcha]

http://washingtontimes.com/national/200509...14120-9872r.htm

Toddlers as young as 2 are influenced by whether their parents smoke and drink alcohol, according to a new study in a journal affiliated with the American Medical Association.

    The findings by Dartmouth College researchers, published in the September issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, are significant because pre-adolescents and adolescents are the age groups targeted by most tobacco- and alcohol-prevention programs.

    "The results from this study suggest that alcohol and tobacco prevention efforts may need to be targeted toward younger children and their parents," wrote the authors, led by Madeline A. Dalton, associate professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School.

    The study found that when pretending to shop for a social event with friends, in controlled play-acting involving fake "cigarettes" and "alcohol," children ages 2 to 6 were nearly four times more likely to choose cigarettes if their parents smoked.

    The study also found that they were three times more likely to select wine or beer if their parents drank alcohol at least once a month.

    What's more, young children who viewed movies rated PG-13 or R were five times more likely to get beer or wine for the get-together, suggesting the media might also influence attitudes about tobacco and alcohol long before children ever consider using these products themselves.

    The researchers used role-playing scenarios to evaluate pre-schoolers' attitudes toward alcohol and tobacco use. They compared those findings to data from surveys of the children's parents on their tobacco and alcohol use and their children's movie-viewing habits.

    In an interview yesterday, Mrs. Dalton, the mother of two teenage sons, said she was particularly surprised at some of the comments the children made while "shopping" at a miniature grocery store and hosting guests at the doll parties for which they bought the goods.

    "As a parent, these were real eye-openers," she said.

    She cited an example of a 4-year-old girl who bought cigarettes for a party with four dolls.

    "She bought three packs, but then said, 'We need some more,'?" Mrs. Dalton recalled.

    Included in the Archives report was another vignette involving a 6-year-old boy, who purchased only cereal and cigarettes. Mrs. Dalton said the boy bought his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms, but he could not recall the name at checkout time. However, he did know that he had Marlboro cigarettes

[.weir]

now that's kinda scary

[Crimson Behelit]

Very interesting article indeed. It looks as if anti-smoking ads need to be targeted to minors. Perhaps something should be done about the McDonald's child-programming as well.

[exotoxic]

its pretty obvious really...

[Fred Derf Veteran]

The parenting style of "Do what I say, not what I do" has never been very effective. Parents must set a good example for their kids.

[deuz]

wasnt it obvioius b4 the study. i mean parents and peers r the biggest influnce on any childs life be it baby or teens

[Scudworth]

Personally, I think thats just another grant that got wasted on research that didnt really do anything other than give all the whiners something more to whine about.

When I was little I can remember seeing my dad drink beer, and seeing people drinking wine/beer/other at family get-togethers; and I dont drink any more than normal.

I think these people should stfu about all this crap and spend more time researching something that matters.

[Riz360]

Perhaps something should be done about the McDonald's child-programming as well.

586486578[/snapback]

:yes: :yes:

The article seems to back what is obvious to anyone who is in education atm or otherwise

[dmp3]

My mom has been smoking before I was born (not while I was in her womb of course), but before and after.

I have never even put a cigarette in my mouth. Heck, I couldn't even spell cigarette, I had to copy and paste it from the article! :p

But I can say, none of my parents excessively drink, and I've never drank before either. EVER. I mean, not even a sip. And I'm 19.

So I dont know... maybe I was just one of those cool weird kids that grew up around it, but noticed everyone was doing it, and I thought i'd be the cool one to be different and NOT do it. That's why I never draaaankk or smoooked. Maan, all this time I could never come up with a good enough reason for my friends and peer-pressure-ers. "It's cause everyone else drinks and/or smokes, and I'd just rather be different!." Niiiicee.

So yeah... cigarette and drinking will always be a trait among some people. Making it obsolete is impossible. Too many people think it's "cool." That's what I think influences it. When your young, your parents are whats cool. But when you grow older, it's the peers around you.

Ok ok, i'm rambling, sorry.

[Scudworth]

So I dont know... maybe I was just one of those cool weird kids that grew up around it, but noticed everyone was doing it, and I thought i'd be the cool one to be different and NOT do it.  That's why I never draaaankk or smoooked.  Maan, all this time I could never come up with a good enough reason for my friends and peer-pressure-ers.  "It's cause everyone else drinks and/or smokes, and I'd just rather be different!."  Niiiicee.

*Scratches head* maybe its just me, but actively trying to be cool/different by NOT doing something, seems like flawed logic. Saying "Im cool because I dont do *such-and-such*" is just as bad as "Im cool because I do *such-and such*'.

Do stuff because you like it and dont give a crap whether other people do it or not.

So yeah... cigarette and drinking will always be a trait among some people.  Making it obsolete is impossible.  Too many people think it's "cool."  That's what I think influences it.  When your young, your parents are whats cool.  But when you grow older, it's the peers around you.

586528704[/snapback]

I cant make any logical arguements with regards to cigarettes, but incase you didnt know, alot of people drink alchohol because they like how it tastes, and because in moderation it is good for you.

Before current pharmaceuticals came into existence, alchohol was used for medicinal purposes aswell. Some kinds/'brands' of alchohol were created to be medicinal, but have made their way into a more 'recreational' usage. Jaegermeister, is one example....