Teens and Cigarettes

Just about every parent could agree that they do not want their kids to smoke. A parent can pound it into their kids heads from the day they are born that smoking is bad. The only way you can stop kids from smoking is by finding out why so many of them do it. What if smoking a cigarette was like eating a carrot? Would as many people smoke then? This article is not to explain the dangers of smoking but to explain why so many of us want to as we are growing up and how parents can prevent this.

Why do so many teens smoke? It has been statistically proven that around 85% of cigarette smokers started before the age of 18. So we can now say that most smokers start in high school. Is it possible that teens started smoking because it is considered “cool”? If smoking is considered “cool” then why is that? To a teenager most things are considered cool when they are illegal. That’s why they start experimenting with illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Cigarette’s may also have their reputation from Hollywood where we see actors smoking in movies from time to time. For other teens it just might be curiosity. Perhaps a teen would want to know what it feels like to be hooked on something or just be curious about the flavor. The fact is; Teens want to explore everything about life and smoking happens to be one that is common and hard to fight.

How can you stop your kid from picking this habit up? The first and most important thing is; do not smoke if you don’t want your kid to. How can you tell your kid not to smoke when you have a cigarette in your mouth? What would you say when your kid asks you why? Even though it may not seem like your teenager respects you much for that time in their life, they will always remember your example. You can never push somebody in the direction you want them if you don’t hold to your own standards.                

It is every human’s nature to want to be strong. Especially when people are finding themselves as they grow up. Pound it into your kids head that having to depend on any sort of drug to function to the fullest is weak. The human body has a list of things it needs that is mostly obtained in our surroundings, food, and water. When you start smoking then you add nicotine to the list of things your body needs. Tell your kid that once you start smoking his/her body is more dependent than your smokeless neighbor. Your neighbor can go forever without nicotine, but how long can you go?

Don’t overkill the whole ‘smoking kills’ thing. When you exaggerate immensely on how unhealthy smoking is, your kids are going to catch onto it. Once your kid sees that you exaggerated on something to convince them, then they will throw away all that you said. Also don’t look down on the people who do smoke and tell your kids that they are bad people. Eventually they will have friends who will smoke, and they will see that they are not bad people and maybe partake. Let them come to the conclusion themselves. Parents are the main source of their offspring’s conclusions; if parents give their kids facts that are absolutely provable, than their kids will do what’s right.

So in a nutshell, parents, be a good example to your kids, show them the people around them to see who has more strength, and never exaggerate the truth.