OVERVIEW OF EARLY AGE SMOKERS IN THE KERTONEGORO VILLAGE, SUB JENGGAWAH, JEMBER REGENCY

Abstract

Background: The number of early age smokers prevalence is increasing. Yet smoking at an early age increases the risk to health. The survey shows that the number of early age smokers aged 13-15 years reached 26.8%. Smoking is a major impact factor on lung health. 4000 contained in cigarette smoke chemicals hazardous to health. Two of them are addictive nature of nicotine and tar is carcinogenic. Toxins and carcinogens that arise from the burning of tobacco can lead to cancer. Stopping smoking habits at an early stage is important to improve the health of smokers themselves, and delay health problems. The objective of this study was to describe early age smokers health condition at Kertonegoro Village, Jember Regency. Methods: This research is descriptive study. Population of this study was the citizens at Kertonegoro Village who had met the given criteria. Sample size was 10 persons and their families. Results and Discussion: Results showed that the age of starting smoking of respondents was 10 years. The main factor they start smoking at an early age is copying the habbits of their friends and their parents. Whereas, of 10 respondents, 7 respondents start smoking at the age of 10 years (70%), 2 respondents in the age of 12 years (20%), and 1 respondent at the age of 14 years (10%). All respondents known about the dangers of smoking espescially from school but lack of the parents attention makes the habit continues. Whereas, of 10 respondents, 9 respondents (90%) have notified their smoking habits to their parents. But there was no strong response from parents to forbid their children smoking habbits. When the researchers asked about the opinion of parents towards their children smoking habbits, most parents can not forbid their children to smoke because of the morning until late afternoon they had to work in the fields. In the evening, the time used for rest after working all day in the fields. But all parents didn’t agree their children smoke because it would be a waste of money. Recommendation: provision of knowledge about the dangers of smoking can be included in the curriculum of learning at primary school children and junior high school.