HABIT: Kids living with one parent are more likely to smoke and drink

A parent’s absence can lead a kid to cigarettes and booze, according to a new study.

 

The research published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood

found that youngsters not living with both parents — due to death or relationship breakdown — by age 7 were more apt to smoke and drink before becoming a teenager than their peers.

Researchers at University College London looked at age-related data from nearly 11,000 children born between 2000 and 2002. They found that one in four children by age 7 were living with only one parent and were 2.5 times more likely to have tried smoking by age 11 compared to peers residing with two parents. This group was 46% more likely to have started drinking alcohol, according to the study.

The reason for the increase needs more investigation.

“We know from previous research that people may take up risky health behaviors as a coping strategy or as a form of self-medication, to help them cope with stressful situations,” researcher Rebecca Lacey told CNN. These coping mechanisms have chemical reactions in the body that have an impact on addictions.

The study supports previous research showing that establishing healthy habits early in life has long-range benefits. Conversely, poor habits set early can lead to negative consequences down the road.