My son is about 16 years old and smokes cigarettes. I want him to stop smoking. Please advise?

Question

Iam very worried snd concerned about the future of my son. What should I do! Please reply to me at [e-mail]
Regards
John

Answer 1

Be the parent. Tell him no. Lay out the consequences. Follow through.

That's part of parenting. You set and enforce such rules out of love.

Answer 2

I started smoking at 14 and am 19 now and still smoke.

When I got the note home from school when I was caught the first time I got a lecture and had to smoke the whole pack there and then. It was disgusting and I promised I wouldn't smoke again but a week later I did.

What made me stop for a while was getting my pocket money stopped and trying to get fit for sports so if he is in to that try and push that angle. I cut down rather than gave up - if a teenager wants to smoke they will but you making it harder is a pain - I'm not allowed smoke at home - inside or outside and normally don't bother going unless I really need one.

Answer 3

Well, there is no point in arguing with him about it. He has heard it all before -- and rejected it.

Time for action -- the shock treatment. Arrange to take him to a hospice or hospital to talk first hand to a smoker dying of lung cancer who is willing to help you.

When I was a kid, my friend's dad caught him smoking. He made him sit down and keep smoking until he got physically sick. My friend said he never felt like smoking again. Might be worth a try if the hospital trip doesn't do the trick.

If you want to try something more exotic, hypnotherapy is effective at creating an aversion to smoking. For example a person can be made to find the taste of tobacco smoke to be most disagreeable.

Best of luck John. It's heartbreaking watching someone you care about destroy their health by smoking.

Answer 4

I am 19 and a smoker too. So l'm trying to let you know what might help from the childs point of view. Unfortunately , nagging at him will not make him want to stop, I know that it made me want to smoke more just to spite my parents. I don't think he's going to stop until HE wants too. Maybe you can give him and incentive to stop? Another thing is, I don't know if he has a job or not, but if he doesn't, stop supplying him with money. If he has to earn his own money to do the stuff he wants to do, he might not have/want to spend what little money he earns on cigarettes, considering they are up about $6 a pack (at least where I live).

Answer 5

Phase One:
Quitting with help

Phase Two
Staying smokefree and not relapsing

Get help -- lots of it. Get into a good program, or better yet, a combination of more than one.

Call your local branch of the American Cancer Society, or the American Lung or Heart Associations. All have inexpensive and effective, mainstream programs.
Call 1-800-QUIT NOW for free support with a trained counselor, who will talk to you whether you are ready to quit or just thinking about it. This number will forward to your State's tobacco cessation program, which offers live phone support in your area. When you call, a friendly staff person will offer a choice of free services, including self-help materials, a referral list of other programs in your community, and one-one-counseling over the phone.

Answer 6

make him smoke 20 cigarretes in a row, i'm a smoker since 13 i wish someone had done this to me.24 now. have a trash can ready and when he wants medicine to make the headache, sore throat vomiting, and so on quit lock his door and let him waller in it. with the smell of smoke from the freshly smoked 20 smokes in a row, he wont be able to be around smokers for a long time with out getting the headaches all over again. if you catch him again do it again untill he does litterally get SICK of the habit. sounds cruel but if it works,eh just do it! good luck

Answer 7

Unfortunately your son is going to do what he wants. Everyone knows smoking is bad for them but continue to smoke anyway.
Download some lovely pictures of lung cancer and emphysema
and show him. Other than that just be grateful he doesn't smoke crack that would be a whole new ball game.

Answer 8

tell your son the concerns and fears that you have for him unfortunately teenages have the habit of doing what they want regardless it's important to remember that you are the adult and sometimes you can't be a friend you have to be a parent. secondly where are he getting these cigarettes find out and get ridof the source he's 16 it's illegal to sell or give underage teenagers tobacco or alcohol..i wish you the best good luck

Answer 9

Hes going to hate you for making him stop and trying to get him help, hes going to rebel and go harder in with his friends though he might not do anything worse. LOVE HIM ANYWAY, your his dad, not his friend or his buddy all the time. He needs to see you take charge. I doubt you somke or anyone else in your home but if they do...come down on them too.
KNOW THAT CHURCHES ARE WONDERFULL. there not just for getting saved and learning about the bible, Churches are called to help the hurting, heal the sick, and just be servents of sociaty. Get him in a large on fire for God youth group, beacuse I gaurinte that if he gets pluged in there and has meetings with the pastors there (best part of that is its FREE) and trust me they have dealed with MANY kids and parents with the same situation and they will be more then willing to get you all the help you need.
Pray everyday that God will set him free of his addiction, Christian or not....God still hears prayers. And awnsers them alot too.

Answer 10

dont give him any money at all. make him pack a lunch. search him when he gets home. and before he goes to school cause if he knows your gunna search him when he gets home he will hide them out side and just grab them on the way out. pick him up from school and if you can take him too. he might get pissed but its for his own good. i started smoking in 6th grade and my lungs are so screwed up now. and im only 21. every time i light one up i think to myself "man, i wish i would have never started smoking" but its petty much too late now. and the worst part is im petty much broke cause they cost so much.