Thesis About Smoking

RESEARCH QUESTION: Can parents influence their children to start smoking?

INTRODUCTION

By definition, smoking is “the act of drawing into the mouth and puffing out the smoke of tobacco contained in a cigarette, cigar, or pipe.” (O 'Toole, 2005). The smoking of tobacco -- the product resulting from curing the leaves of the tobacco plant -- dates back to 1400BC where it was used for shamanic reasons, amongst others. The tobacco was smoked in the form of reeds and smoking tubes.

It was only in the 19th century when cigarettes began to take their modern form. During this time, cigarettes were industrially manufactured using machines and the popularity of such cigarettes was on the rise. By the 20th century, the smoking of cigarettes was widespread

Further research showed that most adult South African smokers start smoking before the age of 18.

This report looks into the prevalence of smoking amongst South African teenagers, focussing primarily on the role played by the parents of such teenagers. Research was done via simple surveys handed out to students of Ashton International College, Ballito; a private school in a generally affluent town in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. All fifteen respondents were in and including the ages of fourteen and

Research showed that only 3 respondents out of the 10 who admitted to their parents smoking, smoke. Furthermore, only 1 respondent of the 3 cited their parents as their primary influence. The hypothesis is contradicted by the statistics and I therefore reject it.

In the report’s introduction, reference was made to the fact that ‘21% of students in Grade 8-11 smoke’ – this naturally means students in Grade 8 to 11 across South Africa. For this report, research was only conducted in an affluent South African town where students receive first-class education. All the respondents (100%) stated that they have been educated in the effects of smoking. It is therefore feasible to suggest that the majority of the respondents do not smoke because they have received good education regarding the subject. To make the investigation more reliable, the method would have to be repeated in a range of demographics across South Africa; including rural and urban areas. This would ensure that students with adequate and inadequate education contribute, helping the investigator to reach a more accurate