title: Smoking is rank! But, not as rank as other drugs and bullying say New Zealand parents of pre-adolescent children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the established risks associated with smoking, 21% of New Zealand adults smoke. Prevalence among Māori (indigenous) and Pacific Island New Zealanders is disproportionately high. Prevention of smoking initiation is a key component of tobacco control. Keeping Kids Smokefree--a quasi-experimental trial--aimed to do this by changing parental smoking behaviour and attitudes. However, little is known about parents' attitudes to smoking in comparison with other concerns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of 4,144 children attending five urban schools in a high smoking prevalence population in Auckland, New Zealand, were asked to rank seven concerns on a paper-based questionnaire, including smoking, alcohol and bullying, from most to least serious.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Methamphetamine and other illicit 'hard' drugs were ranked as most serious followed by marijuana smoking, alcohol drinking, bullying, cigarette smoking, sex and obesity. Never smokers ranked cigarette smoking as more serious than current or ex-smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents' under-estimation of the serious nature of tobacco smoking relative to other drugs could partly explain low participation rates in parent-focused smoking initiation prevention programs.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tobacco Control Research, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand. m.glover@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Marewa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kira
authors.forename: Sandar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scragg
authors.forename: Vili
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nosa
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCool
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bullen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs