| Tobacco and Children
Children's addiction to nicotine from
cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco (chew), and cigars is a major public
health problem.
The Facts about teen smoking:
- Nearly 3 million U.S. teenagers smoke.
- Approximately 3,000 teenagers start
smoking every day and one-third of them will die prematurely of a
smoking related disease (American Cancer Society).
- High school students who smoke
cigarettes are more likely to take risks such as ignoring seat belts,
getting into physical fights, carrying weapons, and having sex at an
earlier age.
- Tobacco is considered to be a
"gateway drug" which may lead to alcohol, marijuana, and
other illegal drug use.
- Most adult smokers started smoking
before the age of 18.
- Tobacco use continues to be the most
common cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.
- Cigarette smoking and tobacco use are
associated with many forms of cancer.
- Smoking is the main cause of lung and
heart disease.
- Smoking worsens existing medical
problems, such as asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- The earlier a person starts smoking, the
greater the risk to his or her health and the harder it is to quit.
Children at MOST risk for Tobacco use:
- have parents, siblings, or friends who
smoke
- exhibit characteristics such as
toughness and acting grown up
- deny the harmful effects of tobacco
- have fewer coping skills and smoke to
alleviate stress
- have poor self esteem and depression
- have poor academic performance,
especially girls
- are very influenced by advertisements
that relate cigarette smoking to being thin and/or suffer from eating
disorders
What Parents can do to prevent Tobacco use:
- Parents are role models. If you smoke,
quit. If you have not quit, do not smoke in front of your children and
tell them you regret that you started.
- Do not allow smoking in your home and
strictly enforce your No Smoking rule.
- Ask whether tobacco is discussed in
school.
- Ask about tobacco use by friends;
compliment children who do not smoke.
- Do not allow your children to handle
smoking materials.
- Do not allow your children to play with
candy cigarettes. They are symbols of real cigarettes, and young
children who use them may be more likely to smoke.
- Support school and community
anti-smoking efforts and tell school officials you expect them to
enforce no smoking policies.
- Make tobacco less readily available to
children and teens—support higher taxes on tobacco, licensing of
vendors, and bans on unattended vending machines.
- Discuss with your children the false and
misleading images used in advertising and movies which portray smoking
as glamorous, healthy, sexy, and mature.
- Emphasize the short-term negative
effects such as bad breath, yellowed fingers, smelly clothes,
shortness of breath, and decreased performance in sports.
- Emphasize that nicotine is addictive.
- Help children to say "No" to
tobacco by role playing situations in which tobacco is offered by
peers.
If your child or teen has already begun to use
tobacco, the following steps can help him or her to stop:
- Advise him/her to stop. Be
non-confrontational, supportive, and respectful.
- Assist his/her efforts to quit and
express your desire to help.
- Provide educational materials.
- Help your youngster identify personally
relevant reasons to quit.
- If you smoke, agree to quit with your
child and negotiate a quit date.
- Enlist the child's pediatrician or
family physician to help the child stop smoking.
- If the child is abusing other drugs
and/or alcohol or there are problems with mood or other disorders,
evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental
health professional may be indicated.
Information
provided by:
American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org
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