subject: Smoking Teenagers [print this page] Since the 1950's, with icons like James Dean, smoking has always seemed to be almost a natural part of growing up. Even though today we are aware of the health risks associated with smoking, and even though smoking among teens continues to decline each year, cigarettes are still popular with a large percentage of teenagers.
The fact is that 1in 5 teenagers smoke cigarettes. Across the world, over 90,000 teens start smoking every single day. Most adults who smoke began their habit as teenagers. Tobacco companies have always known this and have marketed their products accordingly. Knowing the health risks - cancer, heart disease, emphysema, etc etc etc - is not enough to break the habit once the nicotine addiction has its stranglehold on a smoker.
The best way to ensure your teenager doesn't get hooked on cigarettes is to ensure they never start. However, there is a catch in trying to do this. Teenagers are by nature rebellious towards authority, including parents, school systems and governments urging them not to pick up the habit and warning them of the consequences starting.
Telling a teen not to do something, particularly as they feel what happens to others is not necessarily going to happen to them, make programs and lectures about the evils of cigarettes almost a lure for them to start.
The good news is that parents can still positively influence their children not to start smoking, and to influence their smoking teenager in butting out. The very best way is to be a good role model for your children by not smoking yourself.
If you do smoke, then stop. Discuss with your children why you are quitting and the reasons why you hope they do not get hooked on the habit as you did.
by: Amanda Gordon
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