How to prevent smoking in children
All parents are concerned that our children get hooked on tobacco. And it is not for less: teenagers they constitute the population group that smokes the most, with percentages that reach up to 30% who are already smokers. Get prevent smoking in minors and that the addiction Do not start or, if you have already done so, leave it, it is a goal to achieve for parents as protectors of children's health.
On the other hand, in Spain, average age of onset to smoking It is between 11 and 13 years old, resulting in the fact that at 14 they are already addicted. The pressure of the group of friends, the impact of cinema, television or music ... play an important role in the decision of start smoking in a minor.
The communication it is an essential element in all areas of the education of children. According to a study conducted in 2009, adolescents whose parents often told them about the dangers of smoking were about half as likely to smoke as those who did not have these conversations with their parents, regardless of whether the parents were smoking or not.
Tips to prevent smoking in children
1. Despite the impact of movies, music and friends, parents can be a great and powerful influence in the lives of their children.
2. Teach your children to say "no" firmly and assertively.
3. Tell them all the evil that tobacco produces in our body: it causes the heart need to make a greater effort, cause harm to the lungs, and is the cause of many diseases, including Cancer. If you know someone who has contracted an illness, or worse, has died as a result of smoking, do not keep the fact: that they are aware that people around them suffer from them.
4. They are at an age when they attach great importance to their personal image: explain, for example, how tobacco affects the appearance of a person and the Bad smell what it causes Smoking makes hair and clothes smell bad, causes bad breath and stains teeth and nails. In addition, it accelerates the aging of the skin.
5. If you smoke, the best step, of course, is to quit. Meanwhile, do not do it in front of your children, do not offer them tobacco and do not leave it at your fingertips.
6. Start talking to your children about smoking when they are children and continues talking to them until adolescence.
7. Talk to your children about the false impression that presents tobacco in the media, such as advertisements, movies and magazines.
Isabel Martínez
