Talking to Kids About Smoking

An estimated 23 percent of high school students and 8 percent of middle school students in the United States smoke cigarettes. Every day, an estimated 4,000 youths between the ages of 12 and 17 start smoking cigarettes, and approximately 1,140 youths become daily cigarette smokers.

Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use, but smoking any kind of tobacco can increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is also the most preventable form. Since smoking tobacco products is the major cause of lung cancer, the best way to prevent lung cancer is to never start smoking in the first place.

Tobacco use is more common in kids who:

• Are of low socioeconomic status
• Have friends or family members who use tobacco
• Have a lack of parental support
• Have low grades in school
• Have lower self-esteem

In addition, adolescents who engage in other risky behaviors such as high-risk sexual activity and alcohol or drug use have a higher incidence of tobacco use.

Tobacco Use: Influence Your Children

The good news is tobacco use is on the decline. The percentage of people who smoke cigarettes is at its lowest point since the start of World War II. But tobacco use is still a problem among children and teens.

As a parent, you can be one of the greatest influences in your child's life. Preventing tobacco use is important for the health of your children, not only because it can reduce their risk of lung cancer, but also because kids who use tobacco have a higher risk of respiratory problems, alcohol use, and drug use.

Here are some tips for helping to prevent tobacco use in your children:

• Talk about it. Have direct and regular conversations with your children about the risks associated with tobacco use. Start talking about tobacco use when your children are 5 or 6 years old, and continue to talk about it through their teenage years.
• Be a good example. If you use tobacco, make every effort to quit, or at least refrain from using it when your children are around. Keep tobacco out of reach of your children, and never offer it to them.
• Help them plan for situations. Find out if your kids' friends use tobacco and teach your kids strategies for refusing tobacco if they are offered it.
• Make it relevant. It's sometimes hard for kids to grasp a risk like lung cancer, which likely will not occur for many years. Stress other, more immediate risks such as impaired athletic ability, breathing problems, bad breath, smelly clothes, and stained teeth.

Being involved in the effort to keep your kids tobacco-free can help them lead longer, healthier lives. If you find out that your children are using tobacco, take a stand to help them. Your pediatrician can help recommend quitting strategies, and there are many products — including medications and nicotine patches, gums, sprays, inhalers, and lozenges — that can help people quit smoking.