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We now know that the harmfulness of tobacco is mainly linked to the duration of exposure, and that the younger you start, the stronger the addiction. However, adolescence is a risky period for experimenting with tobacco and entering into regular and lasting consumption. But how do you approach this subject with your teenager, and what can you say to him to dissuade him without pointing him out? The Attitude Prévention association gives its advice, and first of all recalls that among those who tested their first cigarette before the age of 14, 66% became daily smokers, against 52% when the experiment took place between the ages of 14 and 17. “For these reasons, it is important to prevent smoking among tweens and teens. », She indicates.
Prevent children and adolescents from starting to smoke
Its experts also warn that teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to tobacco, more at risk of starting to smoke than boys. According to them, “young girls have lower self-esteem than boys, they are more sensitive to the influence of their circle of friends and to the behavior of personalities of which they are fans. For this reason, preventing smoking among adolescent girls requires helping them gain self-confidence, by accompanying and supporting them. “Faced with this situation, Attitude Prévention recommends not to prohibit or coerce your teenager, this often has the opposite effect. But in the contrary to engage in dialogue with him.
How to engage in dialogue and broach the subject of tobacco?
While communication in adolescence may seem difficult and complicated, through this dialogue, parents must not demonize cigarettes nor, conversely, appear indifferent. “However, according to French data from 2010 from the international Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, 63% of students in 3rd year communicate easily with their mother and 40% with their father. Even in adolescence, young people need the benchmarks given by parents. », Notes the association. But must it be forbid him to smoke at home ? Yes, and for two reasons: the inability to smoke at home limits the opportunities to smoke and delays entry into addiction.
When the dialogue is started, it is better to master your subject to discuss calmly, to reply and to argue, and therefore learn about tobacco beforehand and on the risks. Because, as Attitude Prévention points out, “the more parents master the subject, the more they are credible and can bring reliable and understandable data to the attention of their children. »The subject must also be approached in a general way: how do his friends perceive cigarettes? What are his representations of cigarettes? But be careful, once again, not to raise your voice so as not to hold up his child. On the contrary, it is necessary to let him express himself and “make him feel that he is listened to and supported.” »
Finally, the organization invites them to encourage their children to develop their critical thinking skills, by asking them how they see tobacco: do they find cigarettes glamorous? Does it give him an impression of maturity? Does it integrate it socially into a group? It is also an opportunity for parents to share their own experiences and possible shutdown attempts. “Through this type of dialogue, parents can also identify levers that could motivate them to quit, or prevent them from doing so. “, Notes Attitude Prévention. And if one or both parents are smokers, care should be taken not to leave cigarettes lying around. “It is not for nothing that selling cigarettes is prohibited for minors. », Concludes the association.