Help Teens to Avoid Smoking (Part 2)




Last time we have given some tips which could help to take teens away from smoking. Nicotine causes really strong addiction, although many smokers believe that they are not attached to it and can quit any time. Studies show that giving up this habit is very hard, so it is better not to start than to try fighting later.

Teenagers are the most vulnerable group of people, because they care about the impression they make on others, more than adults or children. If the five points from the previous article do not help, here are a few more:

6.    Talk about addiction.

As it has been mentioned earlier, many people believe they can start and quit smoking any time they want to. But in reality they do not realize that they become tobacco slaves. Many quit smoking methods have been designed, but the great majority of them do not work while the others have only temporary effect. The famous statement made by Mark Twain can be a good illustration to this, “Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve done it hundreds of times”. If it was that easy, why did he keep coming back to tobacco?

7.    Calculate expenses.

It is interesting that in some countries cigarettes and other tobacco products are very cheap while in the U.S., the place of origin of tobacco, the price of them is high. If a teenager tends to try smoking, a parent can try to do some math with him or her. On average a smoking person uses about a pack of cigarettes a day. First of all, it is necessary to shop around and compare prices on cigarettes. Count, how much money does a person use daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly. A parent should show to the teenager how much money could be saved if it was not wasted on cigarettes, but on more useful things or gadgets the teenager enjoys.

8.    Teach how to refuse.

Young people usually experience pressure from their friends. A parent’s task is to teach the teen how to say no in the moment, when it is mostly needed. Constant repetition of such a phrase as “No, thanks, I don’t smoke” might lead to an automatic refusal, when the young person is actually offered a cigarette in reality.

9.    Tell about health.

Not many boys and girls think about their future, but it might still be a good point. Smoking cause a lot of health problems. The leading ones are heart problems and various cancers starting with lung, esophagus, and mouth and finishing with breast, colon or bladder cancer. Smoking affects all parts of the body and damages health in different ways. Teens might be interested to find out that smoking might lower fertility, complicate pregnancy, lower sexual drive, worsen skin and acne condition, ruin teeth, and reduce energy level. The talk about health will be even more realistic and impressive if some relatives or friends who suffer from smoking-related diseases can be used as live examples.

10.    Do not forget “harmless” tobacco.

While the majority of talks are held about cigarettes or cigars, teens start thinking that other tobacco products such as chewing tobacco, kreteks, bidis and others are less addictive and harmful than them. Parents have to explain that there is not much difference between those products. Each of them is damaging for health, ruins lungs, mouth and weakens the heart.

11.    Oppose teen smoking actively.

The teen should see how serious the parent is about smoking. Be active, show your position without doubt, and participate in anti-smoking programs. Read and investigate, talk to other people, find out how you can help to reduce the number of smokers among young people.

It is necessary to show the right attitude to smoking, but at the same time the parent should not be “pushy”. There should not be any threats or ultimatums, only support and understanding even if the teen has already started smoking.

Mary Thomson

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Posted on March 7, 2010 
Filed Under Facts on Smoking, Smoking and Youth, Stop Smoking, Stop Smoking News

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