Smoking habit can easily pass on to adolescents from their parents who began smoking at a young age, say a study

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death among people worldwide. This has been attested by the World Health Organization. Some of the serious diseases associated with smoking are chronic lung diseases, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, male impotence and many more health risks. Different people cite different reasons for smoking. A new study carried out to find out causes of smoking reveal that adolescents are at a great risk for smoking, if their parents had started smoking at an early age and persisted with it.

The habit of smoking is influenced by the environment as well as genetic factors, as per the research carried out in the past. The new study that is published in the Healthy Psychology also considered these factors however, focused more on genetic influences of smoking. It draws inputs from the Indiana University Smoking Survey, which is a 28 years continuous study on the history of cigarette smoking.

Jon Macy, project director of the IU Smoking Survey says, "This particular study focuses more on the genetic influence in the specific area of a parent's smoking behavior impacting a teenage son or daughter's smoking."

He further adds, "Of course environmental influences on adolescents such as parenting practices, availability of cigarettes in the home, and parents' attitudes about smoking are equally as important and can be addressed with effective public health interventions including family-based smoking prevention programs."

How to quit this habit, if you are a smoker?

Most smokers find it hard to quit smoking, if they have been smoking for a long time. The strong withdrawal symptoms won't let them off easily, so they need some effective quit smoking aids. This can be in the form of a quit smoking drug, active support from the friends and family members. Some notable quit smoking drugs like Champix, which is a prescription-only drug, can prove useful. This oral drug however, should not be taken without a consultation with a doctor.