Strict parenting may reduce teen smoking

Researchers surveyed middle schoolers from diverse backgrounds and found those whose parents had an "authoritative" and "structured" parenting style were also more likely to be discouraged from smoking by their parents and less likely to become smokers. "Many past studies have examined broad parenting styles, however this study looked at how specific parenting strategies may help protect youth from cigarette smoking initiation," said Cassandra Stanton, an assistant professor in the oncology department at Georgetown University, who led the study. It's important to identify ways of helping parents prevent kids from starting to smoke, Stanton's team writes in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, because the majority of lifetime smokers begin before the age of 18. Past research has found links between low discipline, parental disengagement and increased risk of smoking, Stanton's team notes.

via Health News Headlines - Yahoo News http://news.yahoo.com/strict-parenting-may-reduce-teen-smoking-172447907.html