kids as young as 2 years old may be prejudiced by their parents’ tobacco habits, many years before they even consider using cigarettes themselves, a novel study has shown.
Young children’s attitudes to smoking and alcohol have been difficult to assess due to their limited language skills, so information on social influences has focused on teenagers – the group most likely to take up smoking or drinking. But a new study offers insight into the effect early exposure can have on the behavior of very young children.
Researchers from Dartmouth Medical College in New Hampshire, US, used dolls in a role-playing game with children from 2 to 6 years of age. The child was told to take the doll shopping as there was no food in the dollhouse. When the doll entered the doll grocery store, which had 73 products on display, the researchers noted which products were “purchased”.
Children were nearly four times as likely to buy cigarettes if their parents smoked, and three times as likely to choose wine or beer if their parents drank alcohol at least once a month. Children who viewed PG-13 or R-rated movies were five times as likely to choose alcohol, they found.