How to Help a Teen Quit Smoking

Many teens start smoking and then, like most other smokers, have serious problems kicking the habit. You should make every effort to help your teen quit smoking, but be prepared for a difficult battle.

Instructions

1. Help your teen mentally prepare to quit smoking. Get him to remember what life was like before he started smoking. Bring up things like all those 5-minute breaks for a cigarette, smelly clothes, shortness of breath and all the money spent on cigarettes.

2. Get the smell of smoke out of your teen's clothing, room and car. Even the stale smell of smoke can make a person crave a cigarette. Use air fresheners in rooms, wash clothes and leave jackets outside for a few days to help clear them of the scent.

3. Cut off the financial support that is providing your teen with cigarettes. If you give her an allowance, monitor how the money is spent so you can be sure she isn't buying more packs. If your teen has a job, help her keep track of her money and show her how much more she would have if she didn't spend money on smokes.

4. Help your teen understand the process of quitting smoking. Nicotine stays in the body for less than 48 hours, so he shouldn't feel any physical dependence after the first 2 days. Past that point, your teen will have to have the mental fortitude to resist lighting up, but it will get easier every day.

5. Consider putting your teen on a nicotine patch or gum to help her ease off of the addiction. Your teen's doctor may also be able to prescribe medication to help fight the depression that some smokers feel during the first few weeks of quitting.

6. Encourage your teen to start exercising more once he makes the decision to stop smoking. The body's natural chemicals that are produced after strenuous exercise can help him feel better and build up the stamina lost to smoking. Exercise will also help prevent the weight gain that some smokers experience due to their metabolisms dropping once the nicotine is out of their systems.

Tips & Warnings

• Many ex-smokers relapse into the habit after a few weeks. Find out if your teen starts smoking again and then take further steps to help her quit.

• If anyone else in your family is a smoker, never let him have a cigarette around the person who is trying to quit.