Want to cut the risk that your child will start using tobacco?¹ Be ready to stand firm and oppose the slick marketing of tobacco products that can exert a powerful influence on young people looking for new experiences.

If you’re like most parents, you don’t expect your child to smoke. Yet, many kids do. Even though few 12- and 13-year-olds smoke cigarettes, smoking rates swell as the adolescent years progress:

• At age 14, 1 in 11 youth smoke.
• Among 17-year-olds, the rate rises to more than 1 in 5.³

So, what can parents do? Parents have an important role in helping to protect their children from marketing messages that promote risky adolescent behavior. Still, there’s more to keeping your child from smoking than laying down the law and setting a good example. If you stick with the following basics, your child will be more likely to listen when you talk about tobacco:

• Show affection and accept your child—not just when he has good grades or is excelling in an activity.
• Provide comfort and support when needed.
• Be part of your child’s social and academic growth.
• Recognize your child’s achievements—both large and small.
• Talk with your child on a regular basis and listen to what she says. Spend at least 15 minutes of undivided, uninterrupted time with your child each day.⁴
• Encourage mature behavior while monitoring and supervising your child.

Set a good example by not smoking. Tobacco use is related to a number of diseases and is the most preventable cause of early death in the United States.⁵

In your discussions, help counter the appeal and social acceptance of tobacco use. Don’t just lecture about the harm that tobacco can cause, but explain how marketing works and how young people can be on guard against its flashy lures.⁶ Many tobacco ads imply that teens who smoke are able to make their own decisions. Clarify with your child that a well thought out and mature decision should not endanger one’s health. Part of raising an independent child is helping her see through the hype.

Sources

Additional Resources

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, last referenced 2/7/07.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Surgeon General’s Report for Kids About Smoking, last referenced 2/7/07.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Keeping Youth Drug Free, last referenced 2/7/07.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Pages for Kids, last referenced 2/7/07.