In an era where the health perils of smoking are well known to all, it is amazing that over 20% of teenagers are smokers. It would seem that the rebellious image that smoking creates, along with the inability of teens to look ahead in their lives, overcomes the weight of knowledge that has accumulated since the 1950’s. New research just recently released adds even more frightening information to the already weighty negative evidence of smoking’s dangers. These new findings indicate that addiction to nicotine can sometimes occur after just one cigarette. While this may apply to just a tiny minority of smokers, it serves to further indicate just how addictive nicotine can be.
Given the weight of evidence, both new and old, against smoking, what can parents do to keep their teens from becoming hooked? The first step is to set a good example. Parents who smoke cannot expect that their teens will listen to their pleas that their children should not become addicted like them. Teens only see that their loved ones smoke and it hasn’t done them any apparent harm, so they discount their parents’ warnings.
Parents who do not smoke need to start the education process against smoking at an early age. Any time they see teens on the street or youngsters on TV or in movies smoking, parents should use the opportunity to let their kids know that this is a very dangerous habit and they do not want to ever see them even trying it. They should not expect that it will be enough that the kids will learn about the dangers of smoking in school. It is vital that the message come from parents as well. Coming from people they love, the information has far more impact. Viewing anti-smoking websites together is one way of conveying this information in a non-threatening fashion.
Finally, if parents suspect that their teens are smoking, they need to ensure that no smoking is allowed anywhere in their home or their presence. While this will not guarantee that the teen will stop, it will send a clear message that the habit is strongly disapproved, which may eventually help the youngster to quit. If cigarettes are found by the parents, it will help to reinforce the message by reducing the teen’s allowance for a while. If they can afford cigarettes, they have too much money.
The lure of smoking and the subsequent addiction to it is so strong that nothing can guarantee that teens will never smoke, However, if the above steps are followed, then the chances of this happening will be greatly reduced.