dd aged 14 experimenting with cigarettes

[ScreamEagle]

dd is 14 next month. She tried a cigarette at the weekend when she was with her 13 year old friend whose parents allow her to smoke as they feel it is her choice whether she does or not.

I have spoken to dd about this and agree to an extent with her friend's parents. If she is going to do it, there's not much I can do to stop her. I would hope that having given her facts etc she will make an informed choice. Obviously i would hate it if she did and wouldn't want her to. I am torn between letting her make her own choice/mistakes and coming down hard on her on this one.

How would you handle this if it was you?

[logic]

OK, at 13 I was offered a cigarette, tried it and hated it. Haven't smoked one since and never will. 14 is definately old enough for her to make her own choice IME. I certainly wasn't going to conform under peer pressure at that age.

In your place, I would probably present her with a leaflet on the dangers and consequences of smoking and tell her how much I disliked it. I don't think there's much else that you can do!

[Springchicken]

Can only compare to when i was a teenage smoker. i started smoking at 13/14, parents found out when I was 15. Gave me the whole we know you smoke spiel then they decided I could smoke around them and in the house as I was nearly 16.
Needless to say it made me feel soooo uncomfortable. By the time I was 17 i had stopped smoking and haven't started again since (21 now). When i was 16 my DP's dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and he died when I was 16 too, that gave me an almighty kick up the arse. absolutely horrid circumstance but it made me realise I didn't want to do it anymore.

[slug]

Actually grumpyfrumpy may have hit on the solution there. If she chooses to smoke make her pay the extra in household insurance.

[tinkabell]

My son started smoking tried to hide it But being a non smoker I smelt it streight away..Peer pressure encouraged it. He carried on..He grew up a bit & now wouldnt touch a cigarette . He goes around with peers who dont smoke. I tried everything to stop him all the chats, magazine articles,..In the end he realised it wasnt for him...