Everyone knows the damage smoking does to the body. It adversely affects the work of all our organs, and especially the use of tobacco is dangerous for adolescents. Cigarettes contain harmful ingredients. Compounds and resins do not give any benefit to the gastrointestinal tract, lungs and brain, but, on the contrary, cause great damage to them. But how do you stop a teenager from smoking? This is detailed in the article.
How smoking affects the body of a teenager
Currently, nicotine use among young people is an urgent problem, as teenagers are particularly susceptible to "cigarette fashion". Every day it becomes more and more difficult for teenagers to buy tobacco, as it becomes more expensive and anti-tobacco laws prohibit it from being sold to minors. But despite this, there are more and more dependent teenagers. Nicotine is very dangerous for a child's body, which has not yet had time to get stronger.
Cigarettes workon minors, causing them not only physical, but also mental addiction. Many quitting people are becoming aware that the psychological factor is no less important in nicotine addiction than the physiological one. Those who started smoking in their teens spend many years thinking about how to quit this addiction. However, it is very difficult to do so.
In the hierarchy of public he alth and public he alth, the first question is how to wean teenagers from smoking. After all, the fate of a young nation depends on it. Also, these structures are concerned about the prevention of smoking among teenagers. The same question worries many parents.
What makes young people use nicotine?
Why do teenagers smoke? Experts believe that children are pushed to cigarettes by curiosity, as well as the desire to "become an adult" as soon as possible. The first craving, according to psychologists, occurs at the age of six. If the parents of the child smoke, then he wants to try nicotine much stronger. Also in the latter case, the child is given more opportunities for this. It has been proven that children in such families are four times more dependent. Therefore, before setting a bad example for children, it is worth thinking about how to wean a teenager from smoking later.
It is generally accepted that pushes young people into the addiction of imitation, which is the main way of socialization.
Often the environment forces a teenager to try cigarettes. The child seeks to start smoking as soon as possible in order to showhis importance and significance to his friends, to stand out among them or, on the contrary, to show his peers that he is the same as them.
Also, psychologists consider the option that the child starts smoking to express his protest to the world around him, to prove his independence to his parents, as well as the desire to look formed. This is very important to him.
It is at this moment that many parents think about how to stop their teenager from smoking.
Often personal problems push minors to buy cigarettes to relax. It has been observed that many girls start smoking at this age due to failed attempts to lose or maintain their weight.
Does your child smoke?
Children are very good at hiding their smoking, so it can be difficult to know. If, for example, a teenager returns home and smells of cigarettes, he may begin to deny his smoking, saying that friends, acquaintances, or someone from passers-by smoked. To find out exactly if a child smokes, in no case should you start shouting at him or use force, you should look at the child and his reaction.
It is worth remembering that scandals will make a child addicted to tobacco more sophisticated to hide a bad habit. And also to be nervous and make the teenager smoke even more.
Signs of a minor smoking
If you have a suspicion in your head that one of your children smokes, you should take a closer look at the following signs:
- to the color of nails and teeth (for smokers theyturn yellow);
- to the behavior and reactions of the child (smokers become nervous when they cannot smoke for a long time);
- for teenagers pocket expenses (increased spending may indicate smoking);
- to the appearance of a perfume with a persistent smell in a minor, which he wears almost always with him (perhaps this is how the child tries to overcome the smell of tobacco);
- to the constant chewing gum after walking;
- to the eyes and new habits (smokers may experience increased tearing or redness of the corners of the eye);
- to the pockets of outerwear (there you can find the remnants of tobacco in a smoking teenager, a transparent or paper part from a cigarette package, a lighter;
- to the smell of clothes.
How to wean a teenager to smoke?
The right motivation will help to save the child from addiction, as well as the value system built in the family:
- You should try to talk to a teenager to encourage him to quit addiction, to explain what harm it does to the body. You need to make it clear to the child that the game is not worth the candle and that there is nothing more important than he alth.
- You can try stimulation. Psychologists believe that a promise to give a desired item or take a minor as a reward on a tourist trip will help to convince a child to give up cigarettes.
- Experts advise smoking families to protect their child from smoke, as it will make a quit teenager want to start using tobacco again.
- Also ina smoking family can invite the child to give up cigarettes together. A teenager may be addicted to winning a so-called competition. After all, at that age they hate to lose to adults.
- You can hold a preventive conversation with a minor, in which you explain that each person should have his own opinion and should not succumb to the ridicule of his comrades and smoke just because it is appreciated in his environment.
- Try giving your child a pill to drink "Tabex".
Expert Opinion
Teenager started smoking - what to do? Experts believe that it is impossible to wean a child from addiction in a couple of minutes. Giving up nicotine will require a lot of hours of parent-child conversations. Narcologists say that the peculiarities of the child's psyche should be taken into account. In adolescence, self-esteem is important for children, the desire to assert themselves by all methods and prove their case always and everywhere. Therefore, it is important to communicate with the child on an equal footing, respecting his opinion and proving his case to him, only in this way can the conversation be made productive, according to psychologists.
Swearing, physical punishment, hysterical behavior and intimidation will not convince a teenager to stop smoking, this is important to remember.
You should not express your negative attitude to smoking to your child and try to get him to quit smoking thanks to many hours of lectures, as nothing will come of it. There should be a dialogue in which parents should argue their pointview of known facts. You should periodically remind your teenager about the damage smoking causes to the body. You can show your child a film on this topic.
But also do not get hung up on he alth, because the guys at this age feel omnipotent and immortal. When teenage girls smoke, try to talk about the damage that cigarettes do to beauty, teeth, hair, skin. Perhaps you should scare the girls with the appearance of cellulite from smoking, as well as rapid aging. After all, everyone knows how girls at this age care about their appearance. Talk about how smoking cigarettes one after another can permanently lose the opportunity to have a he althy child.
For young men at this age, it is important to be strong and strong, as well as to have an athletic physique, so they can be told about the constant hypoxia of the body when smoking, a decrease in the respiratory volume of the lungs and a deterioration in the sense of smell. Guys need to pay attention to the fact that nicotine reduces physical activity, impairs the effectiveness of the training process. According to psychologists, such words can greatly influence the opinion of teenagers.
Preventive talks
Much easier than trying to get a teenager to quit smoking, to make sure that he does not start to do so. It is necessary to explain to the child the harm of tobacco from childhood. Express your disrespect for people who are addicted to nicotine. Children should develop a subconscious aversion to smokers. Also, lying should be unacceptable in the family so that a teenager who has tried a cigarette feels ashamed that hehave to hide it from family members.
Relationship between a teenager and his parents
Experts say that trusting relationships in the family can help overcome any difficulties. When a child has just started smoking, he does not yet have an addiction, so it will not be difficult for him to quit using tobacco. And it is the right advice or conversation that can help a teenager who has very little life experience make the right choice in favor of a he althy lifestyle. But not every family will be able to approach parents with such a question, so trusting relationships play a big role in quitting smoking.
Help doctors
If you notice signs of depression or nicotine "withdrawal" in a child when quitting smoking, it will not be superfluous to take him to a psychologist, neurologist or even a psychiatrist. The doctor will be able to help your child with medication to give up the addiction and prevent him from breaking loose. He may also prescribe Tabex anti-smoking pills.
A specialist will help strengthen a child's desire to overcome addiction, help parents find sustainable motivation and overcome all existing fears, as well as get rid of guilt.
Interests
Psychologists advise talking to teenagers to find out what their hobbies are. You should enroll the child in the section in accordance with his capabilities, so that he does not have time for bad habits. So he doesn't wantsmoking, and this will not interfere with a teenager in sports achievements. The minor will find a source of pleasure, make new friends, and this will help him not to return to smoking.
Sports
Usually, there are no smokers among children involved in sports, therefore, having joined a new team, the child will not want to be left behind. Most likely, new friends will meet disapprovingly this addiction. It is also important that the coaches strictly follow this. Often children see authority in their mentor and obey him.
School Activities
Traditional prevention, talking about the dangers of nicotine is effective before the child began to smoke. Therefore, experts advise to regularly hold events at school dedicated to this topical issue. You can ask the class teacher or head teacher to give a lecture on the dangers of smoking for teenagers or devote a lesson to the topic, arrange a general meeting among schoolchildren in the assembly hall, which will show the significance of this problem to students. Many children this age are very impressionable, and pictures of the consequences of addiction can help convince them not to pick up cigarettes.
Often in schools, biology teachers show children the lungs of a person who smokes and has not tried cigarettes. It also gives good results.
To combat smoking in adolescents, you can invite medical professionals to a class in school who will tell the guys in detail about what happens in the body during nicotine use, as well as give convincing examples from the medicalpractice.
