KIDS as young as 12 in Barnsley are being given nicotine patches in a bid to stop them smoking.
Several schools have signed up to a government campaign to tackle worrying levels of addiction in youngsters.
But the scheme to stop the young smokers wrecking their health is proving controversial.
Some parents say they welcome the help their
children are being given to quit, but others are angry at what they see as schools interfering in their role.
Priory School and Sports College in Lundwood is one of the schools where pupils can receive nicotine replacement therapy - NRT.
Pupils are monitored weekly before lessons to check their nicotine levels.
And trained nurses hired by Barnsley Primary Care Trust tour schools to hand out vouchers. Youngsters can take the vouchers to a chemist and trade them in for patches, gum, lozenges and inhalers.
Karen White's son Nicky started smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day after starting Priory.
Nicky, aged 13, said: "I thought 'shall I try it?' and I did and I got addicted. But I thought it was horrible when I saw the pictures on the internet about lung cancer so I thought I would stop."
He said he tried to stop smoking on his own but failed and after being caught smoking in school grounds, his teachers at Priory contacted his mother to see if she would agree to him taking part in the scheme.
Karen, of Priory Road, Lundwood said: "I think it's really great, it's fantastic. Smoking is a killer, it's a very bad killer and I don't want my kids to die with it."
Sandy Thompson has a 13-year-old daughter at the school who has been smoking for 18 months.
The 55-year-old mum, who also smokes, said: "I wish they'd done this when I was at school and I might not be smoking now. I'd do anything to get my daughter to stop."
But Alana Hobson, who has three children who all went to the school, disagrees.
Non-smoker Alana, 39, said: "I don't think the school should take it upon themselves to be handing out patches and things.
"They're my kids. They're only young and I should have a say in these things."
National figures show 12 per cent of 15-year-old boys and 19 per cent of 15-year-old girls are regular smokers. But in Barnsley a third of teenage girls are hooked.
Today Barnsley Primary Care Trust defended its actions and said at least 100 children have successfully stopped smoking over the past year.
A spokesman said: "Nicotine replacement therapy in support of young people trying to quit is accepted best practice. Anyone over the age of 12 can buy NRT over the counter.
"People under the age of 16 who can fully understand the advice given and potential implications can consent to any form of medical treatment without parental permission.
"The schools in question follow these guidelines."
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