At some stage in our lives, we have taken a drag of a cigarette. Although a lot of people haven’t, there is also a high number of people who have and you might be one of those. Additionally, it is a common thing to do when we are younger in college or university because it is the “cool” thing to do at the time when you are with your friends. If you have children, you can expect that your children will go through the same experience as you, so it is important to have a conversation with them about this.
Having this conversation with your children is difficult because it may seem quite hypocritical, however, it is important to have this conversation with your children. Help them understand the dangers of smoking and the issues it can cause.
Stats About Smoking
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of preventable illnesses and avoidable deaths and it is estimated that around 100,000 people die from smoking-related illnesses. Smoking is something that many people start in their early years and the average is quite staggering for people to start smoking.
According to a study in March 2024 from Ash, around 400,000 11-15-year-olds have already tried smoking. A lot of them are still smoking to this day which is to be expected as nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Additionally, it is believed that 90% of smokers claim that they started before they were 18. So there is no doubt that this is a massive issue.
What About Vaping?
There have been recent studies that have shown young adults and teenagers are not smoking cigarettes as much and instead are smoking vapes. A lot of young teenagers are now smoking vapes because they are more flavoursome compared to ordinary cigarettes. The taste of tobacco isn’t so electronic vapes seem to be the perfect replacement however, they still have the addictive substance Nicotine in them which is what many youngsters don’t understand.
What Is Vaping?
Electronic vapes have become really popular in recent years and were originally designed to help people quit smoking. This is a battery-powered device that heats a liquid which you then inhale into your lungs. However, although these vapes don’t contain tobacco and tar which is why people think they are better, they still contain harmful chemicals.
There are many different types of vapes out there and some are healthier than others, however, the ones which teenagers are using, which are the banned disposable vapes, are not great.
How To Speak To Your Children About Vapes
If you know your children are smoking cigarettes or vapes, it is probably wise to sit down and have a conversation with them. This is a serious conversation but one they will need if they don’t understand the health risks of smoking both cigarettes and vapes.
Step One: Educate Yourself
Before you have this conversation with your children, you need to familiarise yourself with facts and figures. We don’t expect you to know everything but you do need to know the important facts. Furthermore, don’t bore them with the usual stats and statistics. Instead, educate them on the costs of smoking as money is something that many young people value. Give them facts that will affect them more rather than what could happen.
Talking about the long-term risks is something they won’t take on board; however, if you tell them the short-term risks, they are more likely to listen.
Step Two: Ensure Nobody Smokes In The House Before Speaking To Them
The next step is to ensure that nobody in your home, including yourself, doesn’t smoke. It would be very hypocritical of you to tell them not to smoke when somebody else does it in your home. It can make them more ignorant of what you are telling them and essentially go through one ear and out of the other.
Step Three: Have The Conversation
When having the conversation, you need to be advising them rather than telling them. Telling people not to smoke makes them want to do it, especially with young teenagers. Don’t be aggressive when speaking to them as they are more likely to listen if they hear it in a more pleasant tone.
As mentioned before, it is better to speak to them about the short-term issues of smoking. For example, how can it affect their fitness? What will it do to their appearance such as dental issues, affecting sleep, stained teeth or the cost of them wasting their money? These are all the concerns that a teenager doesn’t want to hear in their younger years.
To Conclude
These conversations are something that we have to have if you know your children are smoking. Conversations like this aren't easy to have however, they must be done because they may not understand the issues of smoking. No matter what product they use, whether that is cigarettes, electronic vapes or even nicopods, they all have their issues which is something that should be acknowledged with them.
