Niece caught smoking

[Novembre]

I just heard that my teenage niece was caught smoking. She is only 13! I don't know where she got the cigarettes from. I think she was just curious or wanted to look cool around her friends.

 

[ComingUpDaisy]

It is amazing how easy it is for a teenager to purchase cigarettes. I used to work in a store and two young girls that I knew weren't old enough tried to sweet talk me into a pack saying that they left their ID's at home, like I was going to fall for that.

 

[Greyhair]

That is really sad. Why would a thirteen year old girl need to smoke? What was she trying to prove? I don't smoke but I have ever tried it. I didn't enjoy it at all.

 

[wonderfuls]

I know many people who started younger than that and regret it now. Many times parents are not even aware of the stores that will sell to someone underage, good for you in not buying into their sweet talk!

 

[naturelady]

Oh, no! She has no idea what she is getting into if she keeps that up. The younger a person starts smoking, the harder it is to break the addiction.

I'm glad someone caught your niece. Hopefully her parents will put a stop to it.

 

[SoftRain]

She was probably trying to act cool. I know a shocking amount of people who snuck cigarettes around that age. I hope she doesn't keep it up.

 

[strawberry]

Hopefully she was just trying it out and will not continue with this nasty habit. I can't imagine anyone this age being able to afford to buy cigarettes on a regular basis.

 

[wanderingherb]

Sometimes kids experiment it is a part of learning independence.
LOL. I remember my mother just absolutely FEARED I would smoke. She accused me a couple of times and went to the point of saying let me smell your breath. LOL. I honestly was not smoking. But I tell you what that made me; it made me far more curious about it rather than if she hadn't been so freaked out.

 

[Novembre]

LOL. I remember my mother just absolutely FEARED I would smoke. She accused me a couple of times and went to the point of saying let me smell your breath. LOL. I honestly was not smoking. But I tell you what that made me; it made me far more curious about it rather than if she hadn't been so freaked out.

Wow, if my mother had done this to me, I would have ended up being a smoker. She did tell me never to smoke, but she always trusted me, and never smelled my breath.

 

[janayc]

Find a video of a person who has smoked and what health problems it has caused. The CDC may have such videos to help warn teenagers about what they are getting into smoking. It can be used as a wake up call for young kids.

 

[clewand550]

It is amazing how young kids are these days that are smoking and drinking. It is very common for kids around here to be smoking and drinking at that age unfortunately. They think that it is cool at that age to be smoking and drinking and want to fit in with the crowd. I was very fortunate that either one of my kids didn't fall into the peer pressure of smoking or drinking. I have a 24 year old and almost 19 year old and neither one of them smoke or drink.

 

[BrittneyD]

It is hard to be faced with such a young girl smoking. I think it is important to figure out why she felt the need to smoke. I remember being a curious teenager. I felt misunderstood, and wanted to fit in. She may be having trouble with peers and not sharing it with anyone. It truly is scary though to think about how kids are trying things at a much younger age than when we were growing up. I fear for my children. They are 9 now, and I have some to realize that there is a chance that they are going to experiment with things at a young age.

 

[hunysukle]

How disturbing that is. Seems like kids are starting to smoke younger than usual these days. I guess it's due to lack of parental guidance. Kids need to realize that there's nothing cool about smoking.

 

[yellowfish]

the "looking cool amongst your friends" thing. same old story never goes away. I dont know what would have stopped me when i started at 17. I suppose caring about yourself would be a start. Changing your friends would also be a big help

 

[katdolores]

We educate people about the bad effects of smoking. Curiosity in children cannot be avoided. What parents can do to is educate their children. Once their foundation is good, these become principles later on as they get older. Guidance is always needed. I can verify that this works because I grew up like this. My parents taught me the bad effects of smoking and drinking when I was just in first grade. Ever since, I didn't try to smoke. In college, I made friends with people who didn't smoke and who had the same principles as I did.

 

[racechick79]

Sadly, children these days face a lot of peer pressure to be "cool". While it isn't that new of a concept from when we were all young, there is a lot more availability to things that could harm them these days. When I found out my niece was smoking (she was 18, not 13), I sat down and talked with her and explained what my grandfather went through with emphysema. I think it meant more coming from me because I am not her parent and she ended up quitting. Maybe find someone that your niece really respects (maybe you) and talk to her about what it could do to her and to other people that she cares about.

 

[classicnyer]

I honestly can't imagine why a person so young would take up smoking, what with all the negative information about cigarettes that is readily available. I think it's disgusting that that industry even still exists. Already in New York, it's pretty much illegal to smoke anywhere; you can't smoke in any commercial building including bars, or in a government building, or in the park, or on the bus stop, or on the train platform (even if it's outside), or in an apartment building if the owner chooses to make it a smoke free building, and yet people still find spaces to light up, and apparently, these people are still influencing teenagers. I think cigarettes should outright be made illegal.

 

[konstantina]

Maybe you can trick her by telling her all the bad things smoking doead to beauty. Girls at this age take this warnings more seriously than the fact that they are hurting their lungs. Try it, you never know what will freak her out.

 

[classicnyer]

Maybe you can trick her by telling her all the bad things smoking doead to beauty. Girls at this age take this warnings more seriously than the fact that they are hurting their lungs. Try it, you never know what will freak her out.

The sad part is that's not even a trick. Show her pictures of brownish yellow teeth and saggy, yellowing skin. That will probably get through to a teenage girl.

 

[artistry]

As kids grow, they are curious about all kinds of things including smoking, especially if their friends are already doing it. Which may be the case. I would not make a big deal over it. If you do, you or whoever is the adult, will only drive her to keep sneaking around, until she starts to like the taste of those horrible things. The parents should probably get some literature which explains the negative effects of smoking and what nicotine can do to your body. Then hope that she understands.