YOUNG PEOPLE

Deciding whether or not to smoke will ultimately be a decision that is based on individual, social, environmental, economical and parental pressures. There are lots of reasons why young people smoke. Whether parents smoke or not showing disapproval plays a key part in ensuring children do not become long term smokers.

There are things that you can do which will help young people make that decision harder and assist in them in taking a healthier option.

The key reasons given by young people for starting to smoke are:

• Wanting to experiment with new things
  
  
• Wanting to look cool and grown up
  
  
• Joining in with what their friends are doing
  
  
• Demonstrating their independence
  
  
• Helping to cope with stress

For a young person, these are very valid reasons and parents, teachers & youth workers can help by communicating effectively some basic guidance to help young people cope during adolescence which is a time of turbulence and change for young people.

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