Deciding whether to smoke or not is ultimately your child's choice. But parents and carers can influence that decision. Children value their parents' opinions and parents and carers do provide very powerful role models. You can help your child make the healthy choice.
Reasons children and young people give for starting to smoke include:
- Wanting to try new things
- Helping to cope with stress
- Doing what all their friends are doing
- Wanting to look cool or grown up
- Being independent
These may be very valid reasons for them. Children need to assert their independence. But parents also need to set rules and give guidelines to provide children with stability during this time of change.
Discuss smoking with your child
Keep discussions with your child about smoking open and honest. Show them that your concem is for their wellbeing. Any talk about smoking should start from something that interests your child. If they like sport or buying clothes or looking and smelling good that can help you raise the issue. Most children get health education at school and will learn about the long-term health risks of smoking. Try not to repeat what they learn at school. Instead make it more personally relevant.
Use news items about smoking or people smoking on TV or in films to raise the issue.
You may need to inform yourself about some of the facts about smoking. (See back page.)
Don't hassle, lecture, argue or moralise! Ask your child what he or she thinks about smoking and listen to what your child has to say.
Set the right example
If you smoke the best action you can take is to quit. Research shows that children are much less likely to smoke if their parents or carers do not smoke. Explain to your child how difficult it is to quit if you have tried but have started smoking again. Most smokers make several attempts before they stop smoking for good. So if you plan to quit in the future tell your child. Ask for their support.
Don't ask your child to buy cigarettes for you.
It is illegal for shop-keepers to sell cigarettes to under 18s. Shops can be fined up to £2500 if they are caught selling to children.
Don't ask your child to bring cigarettes or ashtrays to you or light up cigarettes for you and don't leave cigarettes around to tempt them to try smoking.
If you think or know they are smoking
Ask your child if they are smoking and when they started. Ask them if they enjoy smoking and if they are thinking of quitting in the future.
Think about how you will react and what you will say in answer to what they say. Try to be open with them but remind them of the benefits of not smoking. It's best to keep the points related to short-term benefits. Points could include:
- The amount of money it costs and what else this could be used to buy in terms of what they like to spend money on
- Smoking makes your breath, clothes, hair and skin smell
- Most people are non-smokers ~ 4 out of 5 adults don't smoke
- Smokers get addicted to nicotine after very few cigarettes
- The longer you smoke the harder it is to stop smoking
- Smoking makes you breathless and it's harder to stay fit
Set rules that they shouldn't smoke in the house. If the house is not smoke-free then limit smoking to one room only or better still outdoors!
Offer them help and support if they decide to quit now or in the future. (See back page.)
If some of their friends are smoking
Young people need the approval of their friends. If their friends are smoking this can put great pressure on them to smoke. Don't order them to stop seeing these friends just because they smoke. It's better to encourage your child to question the need to conform to such an unhealthy activity.
Let your child know that you understand that friends are very important but say that because you care about them you do not want them to smoke. Allow them to conform to the group in other ways - what they wear or how they do their hair or what music they listen to.
Although you do have an influence on your children, the decision to smoke or not is theirs. The influences on them to smoke can be very appealing and the pressure to experiment quite strong. Encourage them to at least consider the positive and healthy options.
Summary
- Set a good example - if you smoke, quit!
- Trust your children to make their own decisions
- Talk with them about smoking and other health issues
- Listen to what they have to say
- Find out what they are learning at school about smoking
- Discuss smoking related to short-term benefits and personal interest
- Set rules about not smoking in the house for all smokers
- Never send a child to buy cigarettes
Two thirds of smokers start before age 18.
Ask your GP for smoking advice or for help in speaking to your child.
Talk to the school nurse or the teacher responsible for Health Education in your child's school to find out what smoking prevention policies and activities exist at school.
Telephone Helplines for Smokers
If you or the young person want to quit, contact one of the telephone helplines. Find the number from Directory Enquiries or Internet. Someone is there to advise you on how to stop smoking and they will send out a free quit pack. There are helplines to help smokers in English and Asian languages.
Health Information
Telephone NHS Direct - 0845 46 47 to ask for local stop smoking help.
Contact Crimestoppers or Trading Standards
Officers (in telephone directory under local authority) to report shops selling cigarettes to under 18s
Websites
There are many websites on smoking and quitting smoking to inform and interest you or your child. Use a search engine to find NHS
Stop Smoking websites for your county or region.
Contact GASP for a catalogue of smoking education resources or check out the website GASP
Tel 0117 955 0101
www.gasp.org.uk
The above information is from a gasp pamphlet I picked up at my Doctors practice
Below are the images from that pamphlet