Why do Teenage Girls Smoke?
And How can You Stop Yours from Smoking?
Data shows that an increasing number of teenage girls in Australia
are taking to smoking. In fact, data collected from a survey in Western
Australia shows that while 25% boys smoke by the time they get to level
10, 27% of girls would have smoked by the same time. Data also shows
that around 28% girls aged 15, smoke every week.
The reasons why teenage girls start smoking are varied. While some might
do so in order to fit into a particular group where a majority of the
girls are smokers; some others do it simply because they perceive it to
be a cool thing to do. Some others take to smoking in order to deal with
stress at school or home, and there are also many teenage girls who
start smoking because they think it helps them control or lose weight.
Studies in the past have also shown that a number of young girls tend to
get influenced by seeing their favourite musician, movie star, or
celebrity, lighting up; thereby jumping on the smoking bandwagon.
Do know that in a majority of the cases that involve teenage girls
smoking, they are either misinformed or misled.
Therefore, as the parent of a teenage girl who smokes, your first
responsibility is to make her aware of all the downsides associated with
smoking. This, however, should not happen in ‘sermon’ mode, or there is
little chance that it will have the desired effect. Remember, if you
badger her about her habit, she might just want to hide it from you.
Also know that if either you to your spouse smoke, then expecting your
daughter to quit is being unrealistic. In such a situation, everybody
who smokes in the house should quit, and since you would have each other
for support, it can actually ease the entire process. While making a
‘rule’ about not smoking can work, it can backfire as well. This would
happen especially if you have a daughter with a rebellious bent of mind.
In such a scenario, simply tell her about the perils of smoking, and let
her know that you are there to support her whenever she needs it.
Remember, if you find out that your teenage daughter smokes, it really
isn’t the end of the world. And instead of worrying about what others
might think, your primary focus should be on helping your daughter. |
