10 Ways to Help Keep Your Teen from Smoking
Disclosure: Tobacco Free New York State sponsored this post as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. Opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.
While reading my post please remember to sign the “Seen Enough Tobacco” pledge today to make New York a healthier place to live, work and play!
How to Keep Your Teen from Smoking
1. Set a Good Example
Teen smoking is more common among teens whose parents smoke. If you smoke, quit. The earlier you stop smoking, the less likely your teen is to become a smoker. Ask your doctor about ways to stop smoking.
In the meantime, don’t smoke in the house, in the car or in front of your teen, and don’t leave cigarettes where your teen might find them. Explain to your teen how unhappy you are with your smoking, how difficult it is to quit and that you’ll keep trying until you stop smoking for good. Vapes are also very famous among teens in the USA and Canada. Still, vaping is less harmful than smoking and pineapple express vape cartridges are one of the better options in Canada right now. However, you should check with your doctor before trying to consume any smoking products.
2. Understand the attraction
Teen smoking can be a form of rebellion or a way to fit in with a particular group of friends. Some teens begin smoking to control their weight. Others smoke to feel cool or independent. In New York State 13 years old is the average age of a new smoker. Many people are not aware of this.
Ask your teen how he or she feels about smoking and if any of your teen’s friends smoke. Applaud your teen’s good choices, and talk about the consequences of bad choices. You might also talk with your teen about how tobacco companies try to influence ideas about smoking, such as through advertisements or product placement in movies that create the idea that smoking is glamorous and more prevalent than it really is.
3. Say no to teen smoking
You might feel as if your teen doesn’t hear a word you say, but say it anyway. Tell your teen that smoking isn’t allowed. Your disapproval will have more impact than you think. Teens whose parents set the firmest smoking restrictions tend to smoke less than do teens whose parents don’t set smoking limits. The same goes for teens who feel close to their parents. It’s time to take action and protect kids from being exposed to tobacco products in stores – please sign the “Seen Enough Tobacco” pledge today to make New York a healthier place to live, work and play!
4. Appeal to your teen’s vanity
Remind your teen that smoking is dirty and smells. Smoking gives you bad breath, stained teeth, and wrinkles. Smoking makes your clothes, skin and hair smell. Smoking can also leave you with a chronic cough and less energy for sports and other fun activities.
5. Do the math
Smoking is expensive. At the time of writing this post, cigarettes range from $9.75 and up depending on where you purchase them in NYS. You can help your teen figure out how much it will cost weekly, monthly or yearly of smoking a pack a day. You can then compare that cost with the cost of electronic devices, clothing or other items they might find they enjoy having more. A lot of money is being spent by the tobacco companies to make sure kids see available tobacco products. The more kids see tobacco, the more likely they are to start smoking.
6. Expect peer pressure
Give your teen the tools he or she needs to refuse cigarettes. Rehearse how to handle tough social situations. It could be as easy as saying, “No thanks. I don’t smoke.”
7. Take addiction seriously
Most teens believe occasional smoking won’t cause them to become addicted and that if they become regular smokers, they can stop smoking at any time they want. Teens, however, can become addicted with on and off again smoking. Remind your teen that most adult smokers started as teens. Once you are hooked, it is very hard to quit.
8. Predict the future
Teens tend to assume that bad things happen only to other people. Most teens think cancer, heart attacks, and strokes only occur in the abstract. Use loved ones, friends, neighbors or celebrities who have been ill as real-life examples.
9. Think beyond cigarettes
Smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes (kreteks) and candy-flavored cigarettes (bidis) are sometimes mistaken as less harmful or addictive than are the traditional cigarettes. Teens also often think that water pipe (hookah) smoking is safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kreteks, bidis, and hookahs all carry health risks. Don’t allow your teen to be fooled.
10. Get Involved
Take an active stance against teen smoking. Participate in local and school-sponsored smoking prevention campaigns. Support efforts to make public places smoke-free and increase taxes on tobacco products. Your actions can help reduce the odds that your teen will become a smoker.
If your teen has already started smoking, avoid threats and ultimatums. Instead, find out why your teen is smoking, and discuss ways to help your teen quit. Avoiding or stopping smoking is one of the best things your teen can do for a lifetime of good health.
About My Smoking Experience
We see all of the promotion of smoking and believe me kids see it too. There are ads at every gas station, on favorite TV shows as well as movies. Smoking is shown as something that is cool. It has been for a long time.
I didn’t grow up with parents that used tobacco products. So you wouldn’t think I would be someone that would start. When I was 17, I was dating a guy that smoked. I tried and tried to get him to quit, but instead, I ended up starting. I told myself I could stop at any time and at different points I did. I hid it from my parents and family. I didn’t realize all of those years ago that there was a possibility I would still be smoking at the age of 49. I quit when I was at college for the most part because it was against the rules. I also stopped each time I was pregnant because I knew it wasn’t right for the baby. But I always went back to it. I do not smoke in the house and haven’t for probably 20 years, nor do I in our vehicle. You probably wonder why I am telling you all of this. Because when a teenager decides to start smoking, there is a significant possibility they will continue throughout their life. I know this because it is from my experience.
Don’t forget to sign the “Seen Enough Tobacco” petition.
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