How to tell if your son or daughter is smoking

Despite everything the doctors tell us and all the health programs in the world, some people still smoke. If you realized how much revenue the government received in taxation from smoking, you would not be surprised that they have no incentive to actually ban cigarettes. However, the truth is, cigarettes are addictive, so the best thing is never to start smoking. So why do so many young people smoke?

There is nothing cool about smoking but many teenagers succumb to the notion that smoking makes you seem older and cooler, encouraged often by film and music icons who smoke. Unfortunately, one fact is true about smoking; it is an appetite suppressant, so as an aid to dieting it works. You may throw your hands up in horror at the idea that cigarette smoking is a dietary option but many teenage girls, and in some cases, boys, are more obsessed by their weight than the potential health damage from smoking.

So, how do you stop your teenager from smoking? First step, do not be a hypocrite and smoke yourself! If this seems impossible for you; do not smoke in front of your children and stop other adults doing so, your house should be a smoke free zone. Secondly, if you discover your teenager is smoking, try to stay calm about it when talking to them. Losing your temper and yelling, will only make your teenager rebellious, and drive their smoking underground encouraging them to lie about it. You need to approach this as you would any addiction; from the point of view that this is an illness that needs treatment and support.

If you are not sure that your teenager is smoking, challenging them and smelling their breath will not work every time, teenagers are too smart for that, they use breath mints! What they forget to do, is wash their hands after smoking, there are tell tale nicotine stains on a smokers fingers and if you smell their fingers, the odor is as strong as a smokers breath. Their clothes will also smell of smoke but they will say that they have been around smokers; to check this, smell the neckline of their top as only someone who smokes their own cigarettes will have a strong odor there.

Having established that your teenager is a smoker, become their sponsor to stop smoking. They will be ratty and disagreeable for a while and they will probably slip occasionally but persist and they will thank you for it eventually. If you are a smoker yourself, take this opportunity to become your teenagers' role model and quit with them.