Do adult films make kids smoke?

A lot of us remember sneaking a peek at 18 certificate films when we were actually way too young to be watching them. Their extremity awed and excited us – like looking into a portal to another world, that we didn’t yet understand. Good harmless fun, you might think. But then again, a new study from Dartmouth University might make you look at things differently.

The study suggests that kids who watch adult films when they are young may be more liable to smoking, drinking and taking drugs as they get older. The researchers behind the findings believe that adult films desensitise children. This may make them more ready to take that first drag on a cigarette, when the chance to do so comes around.

By the age of fifteen, 14% of children in the UK report that they are smokers. It has also been found that 9% of children between the ages of 11 and 15 smoke a cigarette at least once a day.

The adolescent years are particularly important in shaping whether someone becomes a smoker or not. Teens might be encouraged by our peers, or by people they’ve seen puffing away on TV. Alternatively their parents might be smokers. Evidence shows that when parents smoke, it raises the chances their kid will smoke significantly. Another serious danger to children is second-hand smoke.

If you are smoker, who is considering quitting, here is a sobering statistic that you may want to bear in mind. It is estimated that one in two smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. To quit, seek the advice of a medical professional.