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Nicotine Patches for 12-year-olds Handed at School in Essex

by Savitha C Muppala on Jan 26 2013 8:07 AM

 Nicotine Patches for 12-year-olds Handed at School in Essex
A recent research has revealed the possibility of stop-smoking aids being handed over by NHS nurses to school children, as young as 12, during their customary visits to Essex school every fortnight. The key concern is that it is happening without the consent of parents.
Parents are a bit concerned with the secrecy of the NHS and feel strongly that they should have been consulted about it.

‘Some parents will not agree with the meetings between the child and nurse being confidential but the only thing that worries me is that the patches will become a status symbol and children could want them just to look cool in front of their friends,’ a parent said.

This however has been completely denied by the concerned school’s head teacher, who said that while nurses from NHS do visit the schools, nicotine patches are not being handed out.

According to cancer research UK, one out of eight children in UK is a regular smoker by the time he or she is 15. It is also legal for 12-year-olds to get patches from chemists and GPs in the United Kingdom.



Source-Medindia


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