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Parental smoking increases risk for nicotine use among teens

Adolescents whose parents are addicted to nicotine are more likely to be lifetime nicotine users, according to recently published data in the American Journal of Public Health.

“Our findings are important from a public health perspective because they identify groups of young people at risk for smoking and [nicotine dependence] and suggest that reducing smoking by parents would reduce smoking by the next generation,” lead author Denise B. Kandel, PhD, professor of sociomedical sciences in psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, and colleagues wrote.

To assess the correlation between parental nicotine dependence (ND) and adolescent nicotine lifetime use, Kandel and colleagues analyzed data from the 2004 to 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Approximately 35,000 parent-adolescent pairs were included in the study; the average age of adolescents was 14.5 years.

Overall, 10.6% of parents were currently nicotine dependent, 15% had smoked within the past year but were not dependent and 43.3% had been smokers previously. Among adolescents, 20.6% had previously smoked and 7.7% were currently dependent.

White adolescents and boys were more likely to have ever smoked or be currently nicotine dependent compared with other ethnicities and girls, respectively.

A strong association was observed between current parental nicotine dependence and adolescent lifetime smoking (AOR = 2.96; 95% CI, 2.47-3.55).

If a mother was currently dependent on nicotine, her daughter was almost 4 times as likely to be currently nicotine dependent, as well, and 2 times more likely if the mother was formerly nicotine dependent.

No similar association was found between fathers and daughters, or sons and parents, according to the study.

Kandel and colleagues noted that reducing rates of parental smoking with intervention efforts could greatly reduce adolescent smoking. Smoking cessation intervention, which the researchers noted could occur within pediatric care settings, should focus on improving parenting, adolescent mental health and reiteration of smoking avoidance.

“Most smokers start when they are teenagers. As this study shows, parents are a powerful influence. To prevent teens from starting to smoke and becoming addicted to tobacco, we need to do a better job of helping parents quit smoking,” Kandel said in a press release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: Kandel reports receiving a grant from Truth Initiative (formerly Legacy) that partially supported the study. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.