There are other strategies you can use to encourage your child to avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs. For instance, answer all his questions about these substances honestly. Formal antidrug programs at schools and community organizations are most effective when they include a component that teaches children social skills for dealing with peer pressure. These types of efforts address self-esteem, and offer opportunities to practice techniques to use when encountering negative peer influences. An important part of this educational process is to remind your child of the health hazards associated with tobacco use.
Smokers run ten times the risk of death from lung cancer that nonsmokers do.
Cigarettes double the risk of heart disease and are the most common cause of lung diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Even though these are chronic diseases that may take many years even decades to develop, let your youngsters know that the earlier they start smoking, the greater their chance of eventually developing these conditions. For example, smokers who start before age fifteen have cancer rates nineteen times higher than nonsmokers. Children are not particularly motivated by long-term consequences, so remind your child of the more immediate drawbacks to smoking. Young people often believe that kids who smoke are cool and sophisticated.