We all know how hard it is to quit smoking once you start, so the last thing we wish for our children is that they become smokers. Every day 4,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 start smoking with surveys showing that one in five children smoke. With statistics like these, it’s natural for parents to worry about their child becoming a smoker and have a lifetime of health problems because of it. To prevent this from happening, parents have to become active in making sure their children don’t ever start smoking. This article will cover why children start smoking and give tips on how parents can prevent it.

Why Children Smoke

To be able to prevent your children from smoking, you first have to know what makes children smoke in the first place. The number one reason for smoking among kids is peer pressure. Children constantly feel like they have to measure up or fit in with the "cool" kids. One way to stand out and make a statement is to smoke. As a parent you need to teach your child how to say, "No." Discuss peer pressure with your child and explain why they need to resist it.

Just like adults, kids have stress and often begin smoking as a way to relax and relieve stress. Ask your child if they are under a lot of stress and if there is any thing you can do to help. Talk with your child about different ways to manage stress other than harming their body with cigarette smoke.

Image is another reason kids smoke. They see the advertisements and Hollywood stars smoking and like the image they portray. They associate "coolness" with this image and want to be like them thinking it will give them the same image to their peers. Critically analyze this with your child and point out that a "cool" image isn’t worth the side effects of smoking.

Smoking Prevention

Now that you know the reasons that children smoke, it will be easier to see the issue from their point of view and hopefully be able to prevent them from becoming smokers. Here are some tips that have been successfully used by parents:

• Be a good example by not smoking. Ninety-eight percent of smokers had parents who smoked. If your children don’t see you smoking and are taught that smoking is an unacceptable behavior, chances are they won’t start.

• Teach your children from an early age about the damage that smoking can to do their health. This doesn’t have to be accomplished in long, drawn out lectures. Occasionally, just casually remark about how smoking isn’t smart, smart people don’t smoke, and how it can cause major health problems.

• If you do smoke, don’t leave cigarettes laying around where kids have access to them. The first cigarette kids smoke is usually one they got from their parents or a relative. Most kids smoke their first cigarette that they got from a parent’s or relative’s stash.

• Teach your children to say, "No." This is a skill they can use not only when refusing to smoke but in many other situations in life.

Be alert and watch for signs that your child may be smoking. If you catch it early, you have a much better chance of getting them to quit before it becomes a serious addiction. The best practice though is to follow the above tips and prevent your child from becoming a smoker in the first place. Don’t under estimate your influence as a parent and use it to help your child have a healthy, smoke-free future.

Jason Ladock

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