to ask what stopped you smoking cigarettes as a teenager

[norbettsauntie]

This is in the hope that you can give me some ideas on how to discourage my DS 15 from smoking cigarettes. I think he has one on the way to and from school and then one when he makes some excuse to "just pop down the shops" during the evening. (he's been spotted by my friends). DH and I don't smoke and he's not flush with money.

I think I was just always a goody two shoes. I knew my parent's views on it because my aunt smoked, I knew it was very addictive. I did try it, but never really liked it and didn't feel the need to fit in enough to force myself to do it anyway.

I guess you could discuss in front of him someone you know who smokes and how stupid it is, how addictive it is and what a waste of money it is.

cost
im too stingy

I am thinking cost, too, ciggies cheap where I grew up but extortionate here.

The smell. I didn't stop as a teen but near enough, 21 or so. I think I had moved in with someone who didn't smoke, which made me notice how much my mother's house reeked of smoke. Also I think I noticed how much my hair smelled, even if I smoked outside. Smokers become immune to these things over time, so I feel fortunate that I noticed early on.

Smoking is enjoyable. I miss it a bit sometimes, but for many reasons I wouldn't pick up the habit again.

I never understood the attraction. Why is it attractive? I assume its peer pressure and didn't want to be another idiot doing something stupid just because others did. Yep, it's judgemental and I was. I was stroppy, but safe. I am so hoping smoking has disappeared by the time my toddler is old enough to consider it...

the disapproval of adults
the peer pressure
myths that it suppresses appetite
all add to the allure

I had to save my dinner money in order to buy essential toiletries and clothes. No way was I spending it on cigs.

Several reasons - it stinks. i didn't get why anyone would want to do it. The fact that both parents smoked and most of my friends did (I'm never one to follow the crowd), it was (even then) expensive (i earned my own money and has much better things to spend it on!) Not sure any of that would help you though op.

I smoked for 12 years from the age of 11. Wish I didn't.

Other peoples health issues didn't bother me (that is sad I know, but when you are an 'addict' it isn't always enough to make you stop)

Money I could have saved from smoking was the total student debt I had ie £12,000 - that's insane isn't it? So smoking only 10 a day roughly costs £1900 a year.

Pictures are powerful:
damage to teeth
damage to lungs
smoke damage to a computer

I wish someone has convinced me more back in my teens, that smoking really damages your health, makes you smell and skint you out.

Finding 200 pack of super kings at the fair smoking the whole lot with my mate behind the bumper cars

Then pucking my guts up for the next week whilest looking a odd shade of green and not being able to tell my mother that I was I'll so I could go to the doctors lest she found out I had been smoking
Even now the smell of fags makes me bulk

Usually though it's monkey see monkey do

Most of the people I know that started and stayed smoking in my younger days had a parent or a older sibling that smoked

What stopped me from wanting to smoke, though you will not be able to replicate is yourselves, was my dad's awful and pretty constant smoker's cough - really not nice. DS and his schoolfriends were all quite sporty so none of them were tempted by smoking for fear it would spoil their sporting prowess.

Nothing would have stopped me, and my family spent a long time getting a close relative to stop smoking. My friends at school smoked and I didn't want to be left out when they disappeared during break time with the boys .
I have never, ever bought a pack though and stopped when I went to university and stopped mixing with social smokers.

Neither my sister nor I ever wanted to smoke because both our parents were heavy smokers and the house stank. We had overflowing ashtrays everywhere and our mum already had a terrible smoker's cough. She later died from emphysema.

Bum banker sorry for your loss

Both my parents smoked and I remember begging them to stop.
It just had no appeal at all, athough I did try one at 14 just to see what it tasted like, but I had no intention of ever having another.

I told both DDs from an early age how expensive it is to smoke and how it affects your health. I also tolds them if I ever found out they smoked all money form me and DH would stop. No allowance at all.
It's worked so far.

I'm another one with smoker parents.

I remember our mum ironing with a cigarette in her mouth. Our clothes stank.

I also knew how addictive it was, we couldn't always afford food but my mum and dad always had cigarettes.

My dad is now dead but my mum is still alive and smoking. She even smokes through the night. She can barely walk, has COPD and is like someone twenty years older.

I would show your son this thread.

I would Google a few of the awful photos showing the effects of smoking on teeth and beauty. For me it was the biggest deterrent.

I was very dutiful and sensible as a teenager. I was also very snobbish. It was mostly the rough kids who smoked and I did not fancy being like them at all. I was also never pressured by any of my friends. In my mid to later teenage years quite a few of my friends, including my boyfriend, smoked, but nobody ever thought it strange that I did not. I don't think anyone has even every offered me a cigarette. I guess I was just lucky.

Asthma.

I think cost would have been the main thing. As it was, a pack of 10 Marlboro Lights cost about £1.50 when I was a teenager so I could easily budget for them in my £10 night out budget. Doesn't a pack cost about a fiver now anyway?

I haven't smoked for about 8 years, and I was I ly ever a social smoker.

Unfortunately I don't think you can do or say anything that would make a difference. My parents tried alsorts. I gave up at 24 before TTc.

None of my mates did

And the smell used to make me feel a bit sick

I was into sport, so I took my health quite seriously. Smoking held no appeal. I was quite morbid / conscientious, so I honestly thought that one packet of cigarettes would kill me and it wasn't a risk I was willing to take

Growing up with my Dad smoking and hating it... also all of the extended family, you could barely see across the room at a family get together (every weekend).

But that's not going to help you as you need to stop him smoking, not prevent him from starting!... What would I do?? I don't know, it depends on his personality & your relationship, but I wish you lots of luck!!