The study led by Maria Nilsson of Umea University, Sweden, suggests that parents play a key role in shaping their teenage kids attitudes towards smoking.

Teenagers are more positive today towards their parents’ attempts to discourage them from smoking, regardless of whether or not they smoked, than in the past.

The researchers analysed the data of 1500 adolescents, aged 13, 15 and 17 years old to determine their attitudes towards parental intervention on tobacco use in Sweden and to see if these have changed over time.

They found that adolescents respond positively to their parents’ attitudes towards smoking.

The most effective way, according to the study, in which the parents can help put off their kids from smoking is not smoking themselves and not allowing their children to smoke at home.

The team found that younger children were more positive about these approaches than older children. Levels of smoking amongst participants were stable at 8pct in 1987 and 1994, but halved in 2003.

However, use of snus, a type of moist snuff, remained relatively constant. Fewer teenagers thought their parents would be concerned about snus use, probably reflecting a general perception that snus is less of a health hazard than smoking

The decrease in the proportion of teenagers smoking is thought to result from a number of factors, including changes in legislation and the decreasing social acceptability of smoking.

"The fact that adolescents respond positively to parental attitudes to smoking is encouraging," said Nilsson.

"Parents should be encouraged to intervene with respect to their children’s tobacco use," she added.