New Zealand children and teens growing up in smoke-free homes are less likely to take up smoking, even if their parents are smokers, a University of Otago, Wellington, study has found.

The research just published in the international journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, shows the relationship between exposure to smoke in the home and adolescent smoking has become stronger over time. The association is independent of parental smoking—so, children with one or more parent who smoke are less likely to take up smoking if there is no smoking in the home.

“Not only do smoke-free homes protect children’s health by preventing exposure to second-hand smoke, but also children from smoke-free homes are less likely to take up smoking themselves,” says the study’s lead author Jude Ball, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington.

However, exposure to second-hand smoke in homes remains common. Using annual data from the ASH Year 10 survey of 14-15-year-olds, the study found the proportion of 14-15-year-olds living in smoke-free homes barely changed between 2003 and 2015, although less 14-15-year-olds were exposed to smoking in the home on a daily basis.

“The good news is that fewer teens are breathing in second-hand smoke at home on a daily basis. However, second-hand smoke exposure in the home has remained stubbornly high, and the proportion of teen smoking attributable to second-hand smoke exposure has gone up over time, particularly for M?ori.” says Ms Ball. “So we need to do more to support families to have a completely smoke-free home.”

The latest ASH results (2016) show that 11% of M?ori 14-15-year-olds were regular smokers, compared to five% of 14-15-year-olds in the general population.

Ms. Ball noted: “Smoking is more common in M?ori than non-M?ori adults, and so M?ori teens are more exposed to smoking in the home. Our study suggests the relationship between exposure to smoking in the home and teen smoking is also stronger in M?ori teens. This means that promoting smoke-free homes could have an even greater positive effect for M?ori.”

The researchers suggest that for the best chance of reducing smoking further amongst teens, eliminating ethnic disparities in teen smoking, and creating a smoke-free generation, more attention is needed to encourage and support parents to introduce smoke-free homes—for example, through public education campaigns, distributing information about the benefits of smoke-free homes and tips about how to introduce them, and health professional-led and community-based interventions.