Many people would easily dismiss smoking as a normal, difficult to avoid/control and even inescapable part of teenage life, but it doesn’t mean that we should ignore it. Studies show that the earlier a young person begins to smoke, the more likely he will become an adult smoker and the longer he is to stay hooked. Adolescent tobacco users are more prone to using alcohol and illegal drugs than are non-users. On top of all that are the glaring health hazards of smoking. As caring parents, helping our children quit smoking is still the best thing to do.

Fortunately, parents like us aren’t absolutely without help. Most communities have professionals, agencies and organizations that are committed to running useful campaigns against smoking. Schools and local governments are usually cooperative at initiating programs that educate students on the perils of smoking. Churches, pastoral counselors and social workers can likewise be called on to provide some help. If we’re feeling up to it, we can also go as far as asking the government (Congress) to pass laws that further restrict the tobacco industry (by imposing even higher taxes on it and enforcing prohibition of minors’ purchasing and use of tobacco products). These are some of the things we can bring into play to combat the pervasive influence of advertising and peer pressure on adolescent smoking.

For more practical tips on handling your predicament, consider the following:

1. Try to avoid using strong-arm tactics. Nagging, begging, ridiculing, threatening and giving condescending lectures, as you may have probably noticed, rarely meet with success, and usually become further cause for your child to want to smoke more.

2. Find out why your teen is smoking. Often, smoking is only the tip of an iceberga symptom of a deeper problem, such as the need for attention, the need for belongingness or acceptance by a peer group, unhealthy self-esteem, need for independence, etc. Being a teenager alone can be quite a strain! Nurture a healthy and consistent communication line with him to help him address his concerns. If unequivocally necessary (i.e., if his inability to cope with his issues reaches the extent that he is failing to function normally), ask for a professional’s help.

3. Be compassionate. Try to understand that quitting smoking isn’t a cinch; some people find it harder to achieve than others. Show your interest in your child’s situation in a non-intimidating manner. Communicate your concern lovingly to him and involve him in a mother-child or family effort to address his problem. Let him make suggestionsthis will show him how much you value his contributions to solving the problem. Negotiate/work out ways with him to explore and effectively execute the changes that must be made to stop his destructive habit.

4. Most smokers, specially beginners, believe they can easily unhook themselves from the smoking habit whenever they want, yet studies reveal many of them never do. You can share to him these and a myriad other facts why smoking is nasty (the internet can help you find many of these informations), again using a non-intimidating, non-haughty tone. If your child knows someone who has successfully quit smoking, invite that person to talk to your child so that the latter can hear firsthand from one who has actually been through the experience of quitting. Support groups with which he can relate to can also help.

5. Parents who are smokers should try to quit. If they have already quit, they must speak to their child about their own experience in a way that the latter can connect to them.

6. Be supportive all the way, especially when your child decides to quit. Quitting smoking entails a host of undesirable but temporary effects called withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, depression, headaches and difficulty sleeping, which are all signs that his body is adjusting and recovering its healthy equilibrium. This withdrawal period is when parents critically need all the courage, patience and ingenuity they can muster at providing the most peaceful and supportive atmosphere for their child throughout his most difficult days.

Walk with him through this stage by:

a. using prayer consistently and reading the Bible (Though this is a clich

Share This

If you have been drinking up until the point when you become pregnant or smoking it is also vital that you stop doing so immediately. Many women worry that they consumed a few alcoholic drinks prior to learning they were pregnant. If you are concerned you should talk with your healthcare provider. Chances are that everything will be just fine as long as you stop immediately. At this time there are no recommended safe limits of alcohol to consume during pregnancy, thus it is best that you avoid alcohol all together.

Smoking is equally as harmful for a mother during pregnancy. Smoking can also affect your unborn fetus, potentially contributing to birth defects or respiratory problems later in life. Did you know that when you smoke your baby is receiving less oxygen than they normally would? This can cause your baby to grow less rapidly than they might normally, and may also contribute to preterm labor, which can be potentially life threatening for your infant.

If you are a smoker when you find out you are pregnant, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider immediately about your condition. Your healthcare provider can work with you to develop a plan for quitting that is manageable and something you can learn to live with during your pregnancy. There are also numerous support groups available for mothers who are trying to quit during and even after pregnancy. Remember that the sooner you quit smoking, the sooner you start providing your unborn child with the best possible outcome for a healthy and safe delivery and later life.

Here are some avenues of support if you are trying to quite smoking during pregnancy:

National Partnership to Help Pregnant Smokers Quit
http://www.helppregnantsmokersquit.org/

The American Legacy Foundation
http://www.americanlegacy.org/americanlegacy/skins/alf/home.aspx

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of “Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby”, visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on smoking during pregnancy

Share This

There are a lot of good reasons to quit smoking, but isn’t your baby the most compelling? Researchers agree that smoking during pregnancy can be a leading contributor to a range of health problems, both for the mother and the baby.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the amount of nicotine and carbon monoxide, both poisonous, in the mother’s bloodstream. These chemicals restrict the blood vessels and limit the amount of oxygen and nutrients traveling to the placenta, the tissue that nourishes the baby. With less oxygen and nutrients reaching the placenta, the growth of the baby is inhibited. Babies born to smoking mothers are more likely to be premature and, if carried to full term, smaller and underweight. These conditions often mean special care and longer hospital stays for babies born to smoking mothers.

Oxygen deprivation from smoking during pregnancy has been linked to ectopic, or tubal, pregnancies, miscarriages and fetal brain damage. Some studies even suggest smoking can be a contributing factor in sudden infant death syndrome.

Smoking may affect the infant’s blood pressure, and lead to learning and developmental problems, such as Attention Deficit Disorder and mental retardation. Additionally, smokers’ babies tend to have respiratory disorders during childhood, including asthma.

Of course, birth doesn’t’ remove the baby from danger. Smoking often interferes with breastfeeding, reducing milk supply. Nicotine is also passed through the breast milk to the baby, causing colic, cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Exposure to second hand smoke is also a risk. Infants can absorb even more nicotine in their respiratory systems than from breast milk, increasing their risk of breathing problems.

There are two excellent reasons to quit smoking right away, your health and your baby’s health!

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.

Share This