5 Keys To Preventing Smoking Among Young People – You Are Mom

Despite repeated and shocking campaigns,  preventing smoking among young people remains one of the greatest challenges in today’s society. It is a public health problem. Indeed, it represents a danger for society and has harmful effects.

Awareness campaigns were not enough to get many people to quit smoking. There are a significant number of young people around the world who continue to smoke. The World Health Organization estimates that around 150 million adolescents are smokers.

However, these campaigns continue and are disseminated through advertising media, offering young people to know the effects of smoking and its harmful consequences for health.

What are the main causes of smoking among young people?

There are many reasons why young people smoke. Identifying them is therefore very important in order to intervene in time and to succeed in preventing smoking among young people.

Social acceptance

Perhaps this is the main reason. It seems that young non-smokers think that the possibilities of joining a “group” are reduced. They are also curious about trying, thinking it’s a fad that will make them more popular.

Challenge the norms

The period of puberty and adolescence has always been characterized by rebellion. We can also cite disobedience and in some cases, provocation, with a tendency to transgression.

Young people believe that  smoking a cigarette is one of the easiest and most effective ways to break the rules imposed by parents, society.

The excuse to free yourself from stress

Young people mistakenly believe that smoking can release stress and control anxiety. This sometimes leads to the onset of smoking in young adolescents.

During exams, for example or when they are subjected to events with a lot of pressure. There are some who find a space to relax while they smoke.

However, once the effect of the drug wears off, they revert to their previous state. This one is sometimes even stronger. This results in a constant increase in the number of cigarettes smoked.

Influence of parents

Studies show that when parents are smokers, their children are more likely to smoke. Nicotine addiction is more important than in cases where the parents do not smoke.

Thus,  parents who smoke cannot blame anyone other than themselves  for helping them acquire the habit.

Media and advertising

From now on, it is forbidden to carry out any type of advertising or campaign which motivates or promotes smoking among adolescents.

However, the mere fact that someone lights a cigarette on television, in the movies, or in the print media can make others do the same, as an act of imitation.

It has also been shown that there is a close relationship between advertising media and incitement to smoking, especially among young people.

Lack of information

There are still some misconceptions about certain benefits of smoking. Thus, the real negative consequences are buried by the positive images that prevail over them.

5 keys to preventing tobacco in young people

• Avoid them trying. The main way to prevent young people from starting to smoke and becoming accustomed to it is that they do not try, preventing the first few drinks. The young person begins to smoke without knowing the consequences.

• Provide the necessary information. Instead of depending on others, tell your teenager yourself about the negative effects of this habit.
• Lead by example.  It has been reported that young people start to smoke in particular by pure imitation – whether parents, relatives or friends. So that our children do not smoke, parents should not either.
• Encourage reasoning. This consists in making them see with a critical sense and objective information the negative consequences of smoking.
• Promote physical activity. Playing a sport leads to a healthy lifestyle. This is a very useful tool for preventing smoking among young people.