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 Parents
everywhere want to see their children
grow up happy and healthy. And one of the
best ways to ensure your children’s
health is to make sure they never start
smoking. Tobacco eventually kills half
of the people who get hooked on it.
This year, tobacco will kill about 2,000
Manitobans. The vast majority of smokers and other tobacco users start
in their teens. The good news is that the kids who make it to
adulthood without using tobacco will probably
stay tobacco-free for life.As
a parent, you can make the difference.
You have a tremendous influence on the
way your child sees the world. According
to one study, children whose parents
talked with them about tobacco were a lot
less likely to ever smoke. The study
showed that this is also true for
children of parents who smoke. In fact,
when parents who smoke talked to
their children, the child’s chances of
staying tobacco-free doubled.
This guide will help you have that conversation with your child –
and
help you both make the most of your talk.
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  Think
about what you want to talk about. You don't
have
to swamp your child with facts and figures. But
you will want to decide which points will have
the greatest impact. Look through this guide,
and think about how the facts and ideas
can relate to your child's situation. Set
aside some time for you and your child to
sit down together without being disturbed.
It can be something informal – while
you’re driving to hockey or music practice,
for instance, or after a TV show, or just
before bedtime. And remember, this won’t be the only talk you have on the
subject. You don’t have to cover everything in one discussion.
Whenever you have some time alone together, you
can strike up the conversation again.
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There are plenty of openings for a talk about
tobacco. Here are just a few of the conversation-starters
that have worked for parents:
After visiting a friend or relative
"Did you know that Aunt Evelyn quit
smoking last month? She’s been trying for
years, but I think she’ll finally make it this time."
After watching a movie
"You remember that scene where
the hero lights up a cigarette? Did you know tobacco
companies often pay actors to do that?"
After talking about sports
"She’s a great athlete, isn’t she? But it would be a lot harder for her to do as
well if she smoked."
After hearing about someone with
cancer, heart disease or some
other tobacco-related illness
"Did you know that smoking is what
caused (name)’s illness? He started
smoking when he was 15 and was addicted
for life."
Find a way to begin and the conversation will
take on a life of its own.
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Early in the conversation, ask what your child
thinks of tobacco. Listen carefully to
the answer, and talk about your child ’s
beliefs and feelings. Share a few facts. Talk about the effects
tobacco use could have on your child ’s
…
 It
’s more immediate than just the long-term
consequences like heart disease and cancer. Teens who
smoke get more colds, more sore throats, a constant cough
and a greater risk of diseases like asthma.
 Kids
who smoke have less energy, less
endurance and poorer athletic performance.
 Your
hair, breath and clothes all end up
stinking. And smokers can look forward to ugly stains
on their fingernails and teeth.
 Work
through the cost of smoking with your
child, based on a pack of cigarettes a day …for a week,
a month or a year. Where else could that money go,
instead of up in smoke?
 Tobacco
can be as hard to quit as heroin. A few
years ago, a survey of high school students
found that only 5%of smokers thought they’d still
be smoking two years after they graduated. Eight years
later, 75% of them were still smoking.
If your child thinks that nearly everyone smokes, you can point out
that 28% of Manitobans aged 15 to 19 smoke. That’s only about one in
four – even if it is still way too many. You can also talk about the
ingredients in cigarette smoke. Bring out some household items like
window cleaner, nail polish remover, lighter fluid and turpentine.
Each one has ingredients in common with tobacco smoke.
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 It’s only a matter of time before someone offers your son
or daughter a cigarette. You can help your child practise
saying no without feeling stupid. No one
response works for every child. Try to work out an
answer that makes the most sense for your child.
Here’s what some kids like to say:
- "I’d rather save my money
for the latest video games."
- "Why would I want to smell like
an ashtray?"
- "If you aren’t cool already,
a cigarette won’t help."
- "There’s been enough cancer
in my family."
- "I won’t be able to make the
team if I’m slowed down by
smoking."
And something that works a lot better
than you might expect:
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 Let
your child know clearly that you don’t want them to start
using tobacco — or even to try it. But
also make sure your child understands that you’re always
there to listen and talk things over. If one of their friends
has offered them a cigarette, or if they’re feeling a
lot of pressure, you want to know about it — because you
care.
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 The
pressure to smoke will only increase as your child gets older. You’ll
want to have this conversation with your daughter or son many times - to reinforce your message and listen to how your child is coping.
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 Did
you know …If you can help your child
stay tobacco-free until their 16th
birthday, they’ll probably stay that
way for life! Every conversation you have
about tobacco helps your child stay
healthy and tobacco-free. It tells your
child that you care. And
it keeps the lines of communication open,
letting your child tell you about other
issues in their lives.
Why not start the conversation tonight?
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| For
more information about Tobacco Control: |
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