New Links Discovered Between Teenage Smoking And Childhood Asthma

Interesting links between childhood asthma and teenage smoking habits were recently brought to light by an Italian study. Giuseppe Verlato of the University of Verona questioned participants on their adolescent medical history. The resulting statistics showed that childhood asthma reduces the chance of taking up smoking as a teenager. However, this was seen to be the case for male asthmatics only; for girls, the experience of asthma did not seem to act as a disincentive.

The study found that just 35.6 per cent of men who smoked as teens had asthma as a child, as compared to 49 per cent who did not. Interestingly, the same distinction did not appear among the study’s female participants. The difference was actually inverse, with 41.2 per cent who smoked having asthma as a child, and 39.4 per cent free of the condition. What can explain the higher proportion of girls failing to be influenced by the suffering of asthma to later avoid a smoking habit? After all, asthma is an experience of great suffering that is greatly antagonised by tobacco’s effect of inflaming and narrowing the airways.

The study notes that children with asthma are more likely to experience social or psychological problems, due to lowered self-confidence resulting from the disease. When you consider that girls are also known to experience a higher level of peer pressure than boys, it could be that the sense of ‘cool’ they get from smoking is all the more appealing to them. Arguably, the extra societal pressure put on women regarding to look attractive has contributed to this.

Dr Verlato’s research has been welcomed as a valuable contribution to the field of adolescent wellbeing. It may perhaps open the possibility of giving extra health communication to asthmatics in the hope to discourage them from smoking even further. Smoking may seem like a good idea as a teenager, but the sense of image fades and you might be left with a lifetime habit that just won’t let go! Whether asthmatic or not, the results of smoking can be devastating to many aspects of wellness.