Parenting Teens On The Dangers Of Smoking

By Linda Helpler, R.N.

Most teens know that cigarette smoking can cause lung cancer, emphysema, and even death. Yet one of every four teens in high school smokes-in spite of knowing about these dangers.

Smoking and Peer Pressure

Adolescents are at great risk for experimenting with behaviors like smoking because they want to fit in with their peers. Studies have shown that teens whose friends smoke are nine times more likely to smoke than those whose friends do not smoke.Unfortunately, adolescents often underestimate the addictive power of cigarette smoking.

Symptoms of addiction (strong desire to smoke, feeling tense when not smoking, being unable to stop smoking) can occur within weeks of starting to smoke, even if only occasionally. What is more, the earlier a teen begins smoking, the more likely it is that addiction will occur.

Parental Influence

Parents who make it clear that they disapprove of smoking have more influence on their children than they might think. And if you are a smoker yourself, this may be a good time to quit; children of parents who smoke are twice as likely to try cigarettes than those whose parents are not smokers. Even if you are not ready yet to quit smoking, this is no reason to avoid talking to your child about cigarettes.

It's never too early to bring up the topic of smoking. Most kids who smoke say they tried their first cigarette at 13 years old or younger!

How To Start

A good way to open the discussion is by asking your child if he or she knows why smoking is harmful. Most likely, she'll know about the long term effects, but most kids are unaware of other bad effects that may occur soon after starting to smoke, such as:


Teens who smoke are more likely to get sick than those who don't, and they have a harder time recovering from illness.

Smoking causes premature wrinkling and bad breath.

Those who smoke are more susceptible to cavities.

Cigarette smoking can cause shortness of breath, which can interfere with playing sports or enjoying physical activities.

Smoking during adolescence increases the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder.

Cigarettes are expensive.

Smokers spend hundreds of dollars per year on cigarettes-money that could be spent on something else.

How to Empower Your Child To Say No

One of the best ways to help keep your child smoke-free is to help them to feel good about themselves. Teens who have a chance to feel proud of themselves through accomplishments in activities such as music, sports, or clubs-feel less need to seek pleasure in other ways.

Teach your child to be an independent thinker. It takes both strength and practice to say "no" when others are pressuring you to try a cigarette. Help prepare your child for these tough situations by having him work through scenarios such as these:

Your friend tells you that there will be a party tonight at the beach-with alcohol! She suggests that you wait until your parents are sleeping and slip out of your bedroom window-they'll never know you left.

A boy at school has a stuttering problem. All of the other kids make fun of him, mimicking his speech-including your friends. You feel sorry for the boy, but you don't want your friends to make fun of you for sticking up for him.

Your best friend was too busy to do her math homework. She asks you if she can copy your answers; her parents will kill her if she gets another bad grade!

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Helping your child to resist the pressure to smoke is not a one-time lesson. You must make your viewpoint known, help your child to develop skills to resist risky behaviors such as smoking, and continue these discussions throughout adolescence. If your child gets through high school without developing a smoking habit, it is likely that she will not smoke as an adult.

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