another good reason to make the move....

this from the bbc website...


Pupils will get nicotine patches
Children as young as 12 are to be given nicotine patches by health workers in an effort to help them stop smoking.
Pupils at all six secondary schools in Derwentside, County Durham, will be offered nicotine replacement therapy.

Derwentside Primary Care Trust and Sure Start Stanley have joined forces with school nurses to create the programme to cut the number of children smoking.

A pilot programme at a nearby school last year resulted in about half the small sample of children quitting.

Under the new project, school nurses will be able to offer patches to children who show signs of being addicted to cigarettes.

Early age

A spokeswoman for the Trust said: "Each young person is assessed individually, we don't just go out and give patches to anyone that steps through our door.

"They all go through rigorous assessments and we also contact their GP so there is support from their own doctor and we also contact the parents, where the pupil says that is ok for us to do so."

Health professionals believe it will substantially improve their chances of kicking the habit at an early age.

In June the Department of Health said the rate of smoking among 11 to 15 year olds had fallen to 9%, from 13% in 1998.

But the department said more still needed to be done to improve the situation.

The patches may well help with the nicotine addiction, but what can they have to help them overcome the peer pressure and need to look ?cool? that started the habit in the first place?

my thoughts exactly..


peer patches???

[quote:db4cd2fa59="nattydread"]
peer patches???[/quote:db4cd2fa59]

That's an excellent idea. That could keep kids from doing [u:db4cd2fa59]all kinds [/u:db4cd2fa59]of stupid things.

Hmmm funny one this. Cos as with everything it comes down to common sense. I smoked at school cos I thought it was cool, but then when it became evidently obviously that bad stuff happens when you smoke and it is expensive and uncool, I stopped. Straight forward decision, but I don't believe in addiction so I guess I'm gonna have that opinion.

However if instead of getting detention for smoking I got a nicotine patch who knows I wouldn't have got addicted or carried on smoking cos it made me feel good. Absolutely scandolous me thinks.

You'll probably find that there is as much peer pressure on youngsters in NZ. Peer pressure like this is a worldwide problem.


Tottefan.