Information for schools

It is estimated that each year around 207,000 children in the UK start smoking.

Among adult smokers, about two-thirds report that they took up smoking before the age of 18 and over 80% before the age of 20. The 2011 General Lifestyle Survey of adult smokers revealed that almost two-fifths (40%) had started smoking regularly before the age of 16. The annual Government survey of smoking among secondary school pupils in England defines regular smoking as smoking at least one cigarette per week. However, most pupils smoke considerably more than this, and in 2018 pupils classified as regular smokers smoked a mean (average) of 24.7 cigarettes a week. Occasional smokers, which includes young people who describe themselves as non-smokers but smoke more than one cigarette per week, consumed on average 4.3 cigarettes a week. The proportion of children who have ever smoked continues to decline.  (ASH, September 2019)

Fewer young people in the North West are smoking

Three quarters have never smoked, and the percentage claiming to smoke has more than halved in the last 10 years. However, there is still work to be done…

How does the Liverpool Smokefree Support Children and Young People?

In Liverpool we offer children and young people the help and support they need to quit smoking. Our team of stop smoking advisors are highly trained and experienced in supporting young people and understand the challenges and difficulties around quitting. We can offer children as young as 12 years old the following:

• Up to 12 weeks of Nicotine Replacement Therapy
• Behavioural support over the telephone, face to face or via text message
• Children under the age of 12 may receive support but not Nicotine Replacement Therapy.   

Prevention and Education Workshops

Children who experiment with cigarettes can quickly become addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. Children may show signs of addiction within four weeks of starting to smoke and before they commence daily smoking. At the Liverpool Smokefree we are extremely passionate about educating our young people around nicotine addiction. Many young people are also using e-cigarettes/ vapes and may not understand how addictive nicotine can be, therefore is important that we are sending the correct messages to inform and educate. 

As a service we can provide prevention and education workshops to students of primary and secondary age. If you would like to make an enquiry, please click here to complete an enquiry form.

How can a child access the Liverpool Smokefree?

Across Liverpool we are starting to improve accessibility in schools by working more effectively with our children's community nurse services. We will be working closely with the school health teams to provide children and young people with a safe space to speak to a stop smoking advisor for help and support. During these interventions we can offer children a Carbon Monoxide test. The Carbon Monoxide Monitor can test how much Carbon Monoxide is present in the lungs and blood through a simple breath test.

Children & Secondhand Smoke

Passive smoking is especially harmful for children as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune systems. Children who live in a household where at least 1 person smokes are more likely to develop:

• asthma
• chest infections – like pneumonia and bronchitis
• meningitis
• ear infections
• coughs and colds

Children are particularly vulnerable in the family car where secondhand smoke can reach hazardous levels even with the windows open. To protect children, smoking in cars and other vehicles carrying children was banned in 2015. It is against the law to smoke in a private vehicle if there's a young person under 18 present.