Teens are unaware of the dangers of smoking because they see their elders happily puffing away. Peer pressure is another culprit that leads young people to smoke, but in some cases, smoking is an act of defiance or simply the result of curiosity. If you suspect your teen is into smoking and if your suspicion is correct, be concerned and educate your child on the dangers of smoking.
Smoking and It s Threat to Life and Limb
Each year, millions of people die from smoking related diseases. The figure is likely to increase yearly as more young people are taking up the deadly vice. The youngest smoker is a 7 year old kid who earns his keep scrounging for recyclable scraps.
This scenario is in a third world country and is just the tip of an iceberg. Smoking is eating away young lives but earning governments billions of dollars in tax revenues. So the issue remains unresolved, similar to the early dire global warming predictions, which many choose to ignore.
Several cancers are results of years of smoking and young people are at a higher risk because of their early and prolonged exposure to the poison. But quitting smoking is just as difficult as quitting heroin. Support groups are available to help people get out of the rat hole and start living healthier lives. But it is easier said than done. Smoking is not illegal and minors caught smoking are not penalized. Therefore, the vicious cycle continues. If you are parent with teens who smoke, you should be concerned and take immediate action to help your teens quit the addictive habit.
Helping Teens Quit Smoking
A distraught mom reported that her son and daughter were caught smoking in their rooms. The telltale odor of cigarette smoke gave away the secret. Empty cigarette packs and cigarette butts were uncovered in the trash bin. Alarmed, she reported the incident to her husband, also a non smoker and together they educated their children on the dangers of smoking, enlisting them in a rehabilitation and support program to help wean their children from smoking.
If you can t catch your children smoking at home, try to find out who they hang out with and where they spend time after school. Somehow, someone will be able to tell you if your teen s friends are into smoking for the fun of it.
Telling your son or daughter not to go with their smoking friends will not yield any promising result. Instead, invite their friends over and show them YouTube videos on the irreversible effects of smoking on the body. Give them books on the effect of smoking or invite a doctor to your children s school or to a homeowners association meeting to discuss the perils of smoking. Organize parents and ask the school s administration and faculty to wage war on smoking. There shouldn t be smoking and non smoking areas in schools. Instead, smoking should be banned outright. Amid protests, you can always make it clear that sometimes parents and teachers have to be cruel in order to be kind. Smoking is deadly and there is no other euphemism for it.
Be unswerving in your efforts to wage war against teen smoking. Smoking teens will be smoking adults and will suffer the consequences in the future. Instead of waiting for disaster to strike, start the campaign now. If you love your teens, put your foot down. They ll thank you for your sustained efforts to help them get rid of a deadly and costly habit.
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