Whether you use tobacco or not, you probably don’t want your kids to start smoking or chewing tobacco. Let your kids know how you feel about tobacco and make an emotional appeal to help them avoid becoming addicted.
If young people can make it to their nineteenth birthday without becoming tobacco users, then chances are they will never be one. However, youth can face pressure to use tobacco from a variety of sources as they grow into adulthood.
We all know that peer pressure is a significant source of that pressure, but what about other sources?
Parents and other role models can counter these influences. Don’t assume that kids have the skills to resist peer pressure. You can help kids develop refusal skills to avoid tobacco and the addiction that can develop after one or two cigarettes.
January 20 - 26 is National Non-Smoking Week. Let’s work together to influence our youth to live a healthy life.
For more information, visit:
- Northern Health Smoking and Tobacco Reduction
- HealthLink BC: Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs and Alcohol
In this story, as in most public health messages, “tobacco use” refers to the use of commercial tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco as opposed to traditional uses of tobacco. Northern Health supports the cultural and ceremonial uses of tobacco and recognizes that the benefits of traditional uses can outweigh the potential harms.
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