Smoking isn't cool, Southland teens say

Southland teens no longer think smoking is "cool", with figures showing more and more youngsters either stubbing out their cigarettes or spurning the habit altogether.

The latest figures released by Action on Smoking and Health show more than half of the region's year 10 pupils last year had never taken a puff of a cigarette.

The figures also show the number of year 10 pupils who considered themselves regular smokers has dropped, from 17.2 percent in 2006 to 13.8 percent last year, while the number of year 10 pupils who admitted to being daily smokers also dropped, from 9.6 percent in 2006, to 8.3 percent last year.

For Southland Boys' High School pupil Ollie Molloy, 14, the reason behind the attitude shift is simple.

"It's a waste of money," he said.

While Ollie admitted to having taken a puff "once before", he never planned on smoking again. He didn't like the taste and found the experience "disgusting".

Fourteen-year-old James Hargest pupil Georgia Thomas said most of her friends smoked and while she had been pressured in the past. that pressure was getting less and less as people became aware of how "awful" the habit was.

Hannah, 16, said the message was definitely out there that smoking was disgusting, a waste of money, and "for losers." Sisters Mariel, 13, and Eilidh Gill, 15, said they had never smoked and never would because smoking was "disgusting" and "wouldn't be fun anyway".

For Southland Boys' High pupil Cameron Gray, 15, his abilities on the sporting field meant more to him than lighting up a cigarette, which was why he had chosen never to take a puff, while his mate Ben Smith, also 15, admitted to having smoked occasionally.

Of all the youngsters The Southland Times spoke to yesterday, only Ben admitted to feeling "cool" when he smoked.

All the teens spoken to said they had been influenced by anti-smoking advertising campaigns.

Smokefree Coalition director Mark Peck was pleased Southland teenagers were getting the message.

"I am delighted about it ... it's good to see that quite a bunch of young people have never had a cigarette, ever." It was also great to see peer pressure against smoking now working, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News