- Maintain a dialogue. You should begin the conversation as early as possible. You can talk about smoking and vaping as early kindergarten. An important part of the dialogue is being open to seeing things from your child’s point of view especially as they get older.
- Think more than cigarettes. Despite, reports smokeless tobacco, hookah and e-cigarettes are still dangerous. Many people that try them experience nicotine addiction.
- Prepare your kids for peer pressure. As your child gets older, peer pressure comes into play. Prep them on what they might say if a friend offers a cigarette or e-cigarette.
- Set a good example. If you smoke or vape, the best thing you can do is quit. If you can’t quit, try to not smoke around your children.
- Establish a smoke-free home. Don’t allow family members or friends to smoke in your home or car. You should also be aware of who your child is around and what their habits are.
READ: Can Hypnotherapy Help You Stop Smoking?
Tips to quit smoking
If you are a teen and are looking to quit smoking, try these helpful tips:
- Set a quit day: Try setting a day when you are going to stop smoking. In preparation for that day, you can gradually decrease your smoking.
- Choose your method of quitting: There are three ways you can quit smoking- “cold turkey”, cutting down the number of times you smoke each day and gradually reducing the number of puffs you take. You can try one or a combination. The key is to find the best solution for you.
- Discuss medicine or other methods of quitting with your doctor.
- Make a plan for after you quit: You should have a plan of other enjoyable things you can do when you feel tempted to smoke. This can be in the form of a new hobby, going out to the movies, working out, etc.