Teachers Consulted On Pupils’ Smoking

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28249, 10 April 1957, Page 12

Teachers Consulted On Pupils’ Smoking

An increase in the incidence of smoking among schoolboys in Britain is reported in “The Lancet, and the author of the British Medical Journal’s article (Dr. A. Parry Jones) comments: “It is reputed that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton: unhappily, the lung-cancer statistics of a future generation are being determined on the playing fields of the modern general school.”

He urges that lectures should be given in schools on the possible dangers of smoking and also that there should be stricter enforcement of the regulations forbidding the sale of cigarettes to juveniles. Christchurch post - primary teachers, consulted at random, do not believe that smoking among pupils has increased appreciably. They admit that they know the practice still. persists but think any apparent increase arises from improving frankness.

that smoking will affect their fitness for games, whatever the other effects may be, and this removes the temptation.” Effect of Reports Another teacher said he thought the frequent reports of an association between smoking and lung cancer had frightened as many young persons as adults. Pupils certainly knew all aspects of these arguments and drew their own conclusions. Teachers in most schools consulted agreed that a lecture by a medical authority of sufficient standing to impress youngsters might help to discourage smoking, but they also raised the question whether such emphasis might draw undue attention to smoking. Although teachers concerned would not give specific information,. there were indications that if smoking has increased among school pupils, it is among girls. “If their mothers smoke what can you expect from such an example?” one asked. Slot Machines The easy availability of cigarettes through slot machines might account for the growing incidence of smoking reported from England, said a teacher with English and New Zealand experience. With older teachers he thought that in “the old days,” when cigarettes were sold almost exclusively by tobacconists, the trade exercised a fairly useful control. Although slot machines were not yet common in New Zealand, “the trash of all kinds” sold by some mixed corner stores made it easy for young persons to request cigarettes, he said. Generally the inquiry showed that smoking by pupils is one of the minor problems teachers expect to encounter and that, rather than by rigid regulation, they discourage it by appeals to Honour and commonsense.

Voluntary Census One master went so far as to take a voluntary census among some of his pupils to ascertain what proportion smoked at some time. The completely-anonymous answers indicated that although a good proportion had smoked, these were “special occasions”— smoking just to see what it was like or a mild celebration on the relaxation of strict physical training. In almost all cases parents knew of this smoking, which was often done at home.

“Smoking is one of the things that is just ‘not done’ among schoolboys,” one master said. This did not deny that smoking occurred but most boys honoured the unwritten rule. There was no formal rule against it, no warnings by staff, but the code was clearly understood. “Most modern schoolboys have a healthy respect for their bodies,” said a sports master. “They realise