Fewer women admit to smoking during pregnancy

A recent study has found that the number of women who admit to smoking whilst pregnant has fallen since the ban on smoking in public was put into place.

The study, carried out by the Coombe Hospital, in Dublin, found a reduction of 12%, which means that the proportion of pregnant smokers dropped from 23% to 21%.

Although this is still considered a high rate – the smoking rate of the general population is around 27% – the decrease is seen as “significant” according to Luke Clancy, of the Tobacco Free Research Institute (TFI). The decline has been linked to the public smoking ban; although Mr Clancy admits the ban did not necessarily cause the fall, he believes there has been some effect because “people become more aware” of the health risks connected to smoking.

However, researchers from Glasgow University believe such figures are an underestimate. They found that nearly a fifth of pregnant women that do smoke did not admit to doing so (Scotland uses a method of self-reporting), which resulted in those women not being offered help to quit smoking. This research led to calls for more accurate methods in testing so that pregnant smokers can be more easily identified and subsequently be given the appropriate care.

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to a number of problems for the unborn child, such as miscarriage, premature births and stillbirths.

What do you think of this story? Do you think the number of pregnant smokers has gone down? If you smoke, would or did you during your pregnancy? Discuss here.