How to Identify When a Teen Starts Smoking
You may hope that your teen never deals with smoking tobacco, but you may not be so lucky. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.1 percent of high schoolers admitted to smoking one or more cigarettes in the previous month. Knowing the signs of a smoker can keep you on high alert so you can talk with your teen about the dangers of smoking and be an influence for good if your teen has started.
Instructions
Smell your teen's clothes while you're doing laundry. Cigarette smoke is difficult to get out of fabric, so chances are that the smell will linger. Of course, your teen may claim that she was simply hanging out around people that were smoking. Or, take note if your teen suddenly wants to do her own laundry or hides certain items -- like a jacket -- from you. Make an effort to get to know your teen's friends. Teens with three or more friends who are smokers are a whopping ten times more likely to smoke than kids who have friends who don't smoke, according to the State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. You can also talk to your teen about friends who are good influences and those who aren't. Check your teen's backpack for the telltale sign of a lighter. There's little reason for a teen to have a lighter other than for smoking. What's more, they could be banned from school, so your teen's possession of a lighter could get her into more trouble. Watch your teen's spending habits. A smoker may spend more money on things like gum and breath mints to help mask the smell of smoke, notes the Parent Further website. Other suspicious spending habits could include not having any money despite having a job or getting an allowance, or spending money on cologne or perfume. Listen carefully when talking to your teen. Even short-term smoking can cause damage to the throat, which means a raspy voice, a cough, or susceptibility to colds and other bronchial illness, suggests KidsHealth.org. When your teen is talking, you can also take a peek inside her mouth -- yellowing teeth are a clear sign of tobacco use.
