The majority of smokers start smoking as teenagers, so what can parents and educators do now to prevent them taking it up later? Read this and find out…
No parent wants their child to start smoking. But peer pressure, rebellion and of course seeing their fave celebs glamorously posing on Instagram immersed in a wave of smoke can make the habit appear pretty cool and appealing. Robyn Richardson is the National Manager Program Development at Life Education, an Australian charity whose mission is to empower children and young people to make safer and healthier choices through education. Robyn says with this in mind, Life Education (the organisation behind the iconic educational mascot, Healthy Harold), has developed a preventative health education program for 10-12 year olds all about smoking.
The new program, On the Case, is a fun and interactive 90 minute classroom program that follows a detective and his adventures while educating children about the dangers of smoking. Life Education’s On the Case program will teach more than 40,000 children through primary schools around Australia. Life Education has also developed a free online App for parents and children, The Smoky Case, which will make educating your children at home loads of fun.
The Smoky Case free online App sounds fun! What is it all about?
“The Smoky Case game aims to reduce smoking prevalence,” explains Robyn. Players help time travelling detective Mac McHardy and his sidekick, Conan, to explore facts and find hidden clues to solve the case of why smoking is unhealthy. The duo also gather evidence to persuade McHardy’s great, great, granddaughter not to take up smoking. Set in a fantasy world of steam powered machines, students travel through time, collaborate and explore tobacco and smoking. They can ‘snap a photo’ and see first-hand how smoking changes the way a person looks with a ‘Smokey Makeover’ and play ‘Run Conan Run’. Parents can play with their children to explore issues around smoking and the game can be used as a classroom activity, homework or for fun at home.
“The Smoky Case game extends Life Education’s fun learning journey into the home, and also provides teachers with an educational resource that supports new technologies in the classroom,” explains Robyn. Along the way they will discover:
• What’s in a cigarette
• Physical and environmental effects of smoking
• History and laws relating to tobacco
• Myths and facts about smoking
• Strategies to reduce harm
• Strategies to reduce harm from second hand smoking
• Reasons why young people chose not to smoke
• Benefits of being a non-smoker
Fun in the classroom. Life Education’s On the Case tobacco education program will reach 40,000 upper primary school children throughout Australia.
Explain the On the Case classroom program?
“On the Case is Life Education’s new tobacco education program for Upper Primary children. This is one of 11 modules which make up our primary school program. On the Case has been developed to support schools in their health education and has clear educational outcomes that align with the Australian Curriculum. Current research and evidence informs our content and the delivery of the program. The program is a combination of our skilled Educators, the Mobile Learning Centre and our suite of print based on online student and teacher resources for use in the classroom as well as a free game application for home.”
Kids can join the Detective, find clues and learn about smoking’s harmful effects
How can parents teach children about the effects of smoking?
“Education for children around the effects smoking should have a focus on keeping healthy and safe,” explains Robyn. “With very young children, this includes exploring the effects of second hand smoke on the body and strategies and skills to help keep safe, for example, opening a window or going outside to play. In Upper primary this extends to focusing on the benefits of not smoking, dispelling common misconceptions (e.g. Children often over estimate the number of young people that smoke, its empowering for them to know that most young people choose not to smoke), and looking at the influences and pressures.”
What about relatives smoking around children. How do you explain this to a child?
“Be aware of the influences on young people to smoke and address them,” suggests Robyn. “This includes tobacco use in the home, family and siblings attitudes towards smoking and acceptance of smoking within cultural groups.” Robyn suggests providing a smoke free environment and talking about the ways children can help keep themselves safe from second-hand smoke. “Focus on the benefits of being a non-smoker – health, financial and environmental. If your child has been around a smoker, start a conversation with them about how they felt, ask why a person would start smoking, or what advice they would give friends about smoking and how someone could refuse a cigarette. This empowers them to make their own safe healthy choices. Children are aware of the health risks of smoking and do wonder why people smoke. This is a real concern for children and parents should be talking about what’s in a cigarette and the addictive nature of nicotine, and although it’s hard to stop it, most people can.”
How will Life Education and the new program On the Case help kids?
Life Education is the largest non-government provider of health education to Australian children. Our Mission is to empower children and young people to make safer, healthier choices through education. We are a registered charity, independent of both government and religion. We are national in reach, operating in all States and Territories. In 2013 we worked in 3,400 primary and preschools. Each of these schools selected to partner with us, and make our program available to approximately 600,000 students.
How can parents bring Life Educations to their child school?
Life Education is now offering On the Case for upper primary children to schools in all states and territories. Visit the Life Education website to find out more about the program, talk to you class teachers and other parents about the program’s benefits for children and teachers. Contact Life Education in your state on 1300 HAROLD to talk about arranging a visit to your school.
For more information visit
Contact Life Education in your state on 1300 HAROLD or visit http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/what-we-do/news/item/12-on-the-case
Find out more about On the Case here
Download the The Smoky Case game here
Parents trying to quit smoking can visit www.quit.com.au
