Know the facts about youth and tobacco use
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in Canada causing heart disease, cancers and strokes.
Spit tobacco and cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes.
Kids who use tobacco:
- Cough and have asthma attacks more often.
- Develop more frequent and serious respiratory problems.
- Have poorer athletic performances and endurance.
- Are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.
- Become addicted to tobacco and find it extremely hard to quit.
Take a stand at home - early and often
- Despite the impact of movies, music, and TV, parents have the greatest influence in their kid's lives.
- Talk directly to children about the risks of tobacco use; if friends or relatives died from tobacco-related illness, let your kids know.
- If you use tobacco, you can still make a difference. Your best move, of course, is to try to quit. Meanwhile, don't offer it to them, and don't leave it where they can easily get it.
- Start a dialog about tobacco use at age 5 or 6 and continue through their high school years. Many kids start using tobacco by age 11, and many are addicted by age 14.
- Know if your kids' friends use tobacco.
- Talk about ways to refuse tobacco.
- Discuss with kids the false glamorization of tobacco on billboards, and other media, such as movies, TV, and magazines.
Adapted from the Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1-800-CDC-1311 or (770) 488-5705 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco