What to Say to Your Children about Tobacco

We have come a long way since 1964, when the 1964 Report on Smoking and Health from the Surgeon General came out. At the time, tobacco advertising was on all forms of media including soap operas and cartoons - smoking was even allowed in offices and on planes.

 Today, public health has made huge steps in taming tobacco advertising and messaging. Yet, it is still very important to continue to talk with our kids, grandkids, and other young people about the health risks of smoking and other tobacco use.  The goal is to encourage young people to never start the nasty habit.

 Youth represent the population most vulnerable to succumb to tobacco media messaging.  They are still exposed to messages within movies, at the convenience stores and gas stations, and from their peers.  In suburban Cook County, 4 out of 10 high school students have reported at least trying cigarette smoking.

 Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caregivers have an enormous influence on whether their children, or the children they care for, use tobacco. We encourage adults to take the following actions when talking to the kids in their life about smoking.

•  If you don’t smoke, don’t start!  If you do smoke, quit.  Children who have a parent who smokes are more likely to smoke and to be heavier smokers at young ages.  But even if you do smoke, talk to your kids about how hard it is to quit smoking and let them see you continue to try and quit.
• Maintain a smoke-free home by not allowing anyone to smoke inside.  A smoke-free home makes smoking less convenient for their kids and sends a strong message that smoking is undesirable.
• Give your kids the complete story about tobacco use. Give kids all the facts about how harmful smoking is – in the immediate and the long term.  The more informed a child is, the more able he or she is to make better decisions.
• Remind your kids not everyone smokes.  88% of high school students from suburban Cook County do not smoke.  Many kids overestimate how many of their peers smoke, which can lead them into trying tobacco from peer pressure.  Encourage kids to take the smoke-free pledge at www.thatsjustnasty.org.

Adults can even protect their children outside of the home by supporting smoke-free policies, such as smoke-free parks and playgrounds and zoning regulations to keep advertising limited.

For more information, please visit www.cookcountypublichealth.org.