BDHF Calls For More To Be Done To Help Young People Quit Smoking
The British Dental Health Foundation has called for more to be done to help young people to give up smoking, after a survey revealed that a large proportion of young smokers had made no effort to quit.
The study, which was published in the American Journal of Public Health3, revealed that 60 per cent of smokers aged between 18 and 29 years old made no effort to quit; 25 per cent of those surveyed said that they had tried to give up, but only 14 per cent said that they had gone 30 days without having a cigarette.
Researchers concluded that the findings were worrying, with so many young people not even attempting to give up, especially as the health implications of smoking are so serious.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that the findings of the study show that there is “plenty of room for improvement” and called for smoking cessation groups to provide clear, hard-hitting information about the consequences of smoking.
Dr Carter said that it can be very difficult to reach out to young people, as peer pressure plays such an important role in their lives, but it is important that young people are aware o the damage they are potentially doing their body. Smoking increases the risk of several life-threatening diseases, including heart disease, strokes and cancer.
Dr Carter said that professionals must work together to encourage young people to quit smoking by highlighting the dangers associated with inhaling so many poisonous chemicals.
Dr Carter said that smoking is a major risk factor for oral cancer, which has become increasingly prevalent among young people over the last decade. He hopes that professionals will join forces to make the most of the opportunities presented by No Smoking Day, which will take place on March 13th and National Smile Month, which will run from the 20th May until the 20th June.
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