All parents want the best for their kids. For most of us, that includes our children being smoke free.
We all know smoking can lead to serious health issues later in life, but young people often don’t focus on long term.
You can influence a young person’s decision about smoking. To support our young people to say no to smoking we need to give them the facts.
Did you know that:
- Most people don’t smoke
- Brain development continues until age 25. Nicotine exposure during young adulthood causes addiction and can harm the developing brain.
Things you can do
- Make your home a smoke free zone
- Talk about strategies to cope with peer pressure with your child
- If you smoke try giving up, seek support to do this.
It can be hard to quit, share those experience with your children. You are an important role model for your child.
Ways to talk about the negative effects of smoking
Young people live in the moment, letting them know the side effects of smoking such as smelly hair, bad breath, yellow teeth or yucky skin could be enough for them to decide not to smoke.
There are also a lot of benefits from choosing to be smoke free, one of the most appealing for young people is all the extra cash in their pocket. Cigarettes are expensive!
Like other big health choices, it’s about being open and honest with your children about smoking and the effects it can have, both short term and long term. Find ways to start a conversation and keep it open.
Want some help
Don’t give your children a life time of addiction, it’s okay to say No. Young people need to know we are there to support them.
For help quitting visit your GP or phone the Quitline 13 7848
For more information and resources to share with your teenager visit the Smokefree website