Help Your Child to Stay Strong against the Peer Pressure to Smoke

One of the most common reasons kids smoke is to fit in with their friends. If the group they hang out with smokes, they’ll most likely feel pressured to try a few cigarettes.
At first, most kids only smoke because of this peer pressure. But over time, kids learn that smoking helps them relax, and they start to smoke as a way of coping with anxiety and daily stresses.
For example, kids frequently smoke to give themselves courage to talk to other people their age. After a few years, they go on to become addicted to nicotine. This is an awkward stage in their lives, and nicotine is frequently used to smooth things out.

Saying ‘No’

As a solution, help them deal with peer pressure by helping them get more comfortable saying no to pressures to smoke. That may sound easy, but for a kid in the thralls of wanting to be accepted, saying no to your peers is tough. Saying no takes practice and it will help if you do some role-playing with them.
One way to help your teens practice saying no is to take on the role of one of your kid’s friends and pretend to urge him or her to smoke. As you try to coax and pressure your kid into smoking, try to get him or her to develop some “no thanks” comments. The comments should fit his or her personality and be in his or her own words.

An Example

For example, if your kid is shy, suggest that she simply say “No thanks” and then quickly leave the area.
If your kid is more outgoing, maybe she can say something like “No way! I don’t want to smell like an ashtray.” Help her practice her responses so that she becomes strong and convincing.
And remember, just because your child is comfortable saying no to cigarettes today doesn’t mean she will always stay that way. It’s a good idea to revisit the issue from time to time, making sure she always has the skills to turn down tobacco.
There are lots of other ways to help your kid stay strong against peer pressure. Recognize that even though his peers have tremendous influence over what he does, you are still a powerful force in his life.
Even if it may seem as if he doesn’t listen to anything you say, know that he still wants to live up to your expectations. So, tell him that you love him and that you don’t want him to smoke.
One of the most common reasons young people give for not smoking does not want to damage the relationship between themselves and a caring adult who doesn’t want them to smoke.