Study suggests good environment in schools reduces smoking

People resort to smoking particularly in their adolescent age owing to bad company, influenced by fashion, failing to tensions etc. What is commenced as a hobby soon becomes the habit and when the people realise it would have been far late- smoking had become the lifestyle and culture of their life.

But here is a good news for those smokers to go back to school days who desperately want to quit smoking.

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A new research linking “smoking with Schools” has said that schools have the potential to influence their students' behaviour by providing inclusive social environment and culture (non-formal school characteristics) as well as incorporating formal curriculum into their day-to-day life.

The research concludes that pupils who are breed in such environment are less likely to resort to smoking. The healthy environment prevents them from diverting to the darker side of life.

New research published in open access journal BMC Public Health reveals that teachers could play a vital role in developing attitude among pupils responsible for staying them away from smoking by creating a positive, favourable environment in schools.

A total of 5092 pupils belonging to 24 Scottish schools were taken for the research conducted by the Marion Henderson, the lead author of the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow.

Highlighting the quitting smoke attitude developing among pupils, she says, “The social environment of schools, in particular the quality of teacher-pupil relationships, pupil's attitude to school and the school's focus on caring and inclusiveness, all influence both boys' and girls' smoking habits".

Different kind of methods were taken for study such as pupils' smoking, cognitive measures, attitude to school and pupil-teacher relationships.

Dr. Henderson found that overall 25 percent of males and 39 percent of females aged 15-16 reported that they either regularly or occasionally smoked with rates by school ranging from 8% to 33% for males and from 28% to 49% for females.

The team of researchers led by Dr. Henderson came on the conclusion that school-level characteristics have an impact on male and female pupils' rates of smoking up to 15/16 years of age.

The size of the school effect is greater for males at this age. The social environment of schools, in particular the quality of teacher-pupil relationships, pupils' attitude to school and the school's focus on caring and inclusiveness, can influence both boys' and girls' smoking.

So the message is clear: develop good and friendly environment in schools, if want to keep pupils distant from smoking.