Summer is When Many Young Adults Take Up Smoking

School will soon be out for the summer, leaving plenty of time for kids to explore their interests. But along with free time, particularly unsupervised, can come the temptation to experiment with smoking. “Kids who have large amounts of unstructured, unsupervised times are more likely to try smoking. If parents keep their kids involved in activities that provide social interaction as well as adult supervision, the kids will have fewer opportunities to try smoking,” warns Jennifer Unger, PhD.

Why do young people start smoking? It seems they are motivated by curiosity, media changes that portray smokers as cool, sexy, slim or popular and the desire to be accepted by certain peer groups. Some other risk factors include being depressed, bored, unmotivated, and having tobacco products easily acceptable.

Most young people are aware of the health risks associated with smoking. The problem is that they have a hard time imagining themselves as middle-aged or vulnerable to diseases and death and can’t picture these consequences happening to them. Therefore, parents should talk with kids about the short-term consequences, such as bad breath, yellow-teeth, and reduced athletic performance. Finally, encourage your child to talk about their views of tobacco with their friends. This can help strengthen the whole peer group to remain free from tobacco use.

If you have any question please call Laura Hahn, Qullayute Valley School District Student Assistance Professional at 374-6262 ext 511.