How can I help my parents quit smoking? -
I-m 17 and my sister is 10. My parents are both almost 40, and they have been smoking since before I was born. We are so scared one of them is going to get cancer or something horrible. My dad wants to quit smoking, but my mom has never made an effort to quit except ordering the chantix pill which is now being connected to suicide. She says she wants to, but in my entire life the only times she has ever quit is when she was pregnant with my sister and I.
How can I help them? Any ideas? I would really appreciate it.
You can-t really help them when they really want to quit they will.
Tell them why you-re concerned. Give them facts, stats, stuff like that.
I got my mom to quit just by always telling her we (my siblings) were afraid she was going to die. And after awhile, it just happened.
But they have to want to stop themselves first.
ok - i am over 40 and still smoked on an off till recently. I will also let you in on a secret, if your mom is that focused on smoking still - she didn-t quit when she was pregnant. It-s just too hard to quit and go back and quit and go back that she can-t quit now. Any way, what really got me going wasn-t the death thing, but look at this - utube ad. I was helping my daughter with a project at sc hool about smoking and grades. It made me think there are worse things than dying from stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZg_jVHaE…
Most smokers are not capable of quitting or even interested in quitting so a lot of them make a few half hearted attempts and fail.
To quit smoking requires supreme and extreme willpower and apparently it is much harder for a smoker to quit than it is for an alcoholic to give up alcohol.
Smokers know about the health hazards as they are printed on cigarette packets but most smokers are more interested in today than tomorrow.
About all you can do is to research the health hazards of smoking and present your findings to your parents but it is likely to be a losing battle.
You can try several different approaches. First, research more about smoking and cancer (on the web or anywhere), what cigarettes compose of, and what it-s harmful effects are. Then try to explain this over dinner one day by hinting about it and how bad it is (or you can use a recent event in the news or related to your life). For example, you can start out solemnly with -I heard today that my friend-s aunt died of lung cancer, and she smoked for 3 years. My friend-s really sad.- You could even go into detail like -And you know, my friend was describing the condition her aunt was in, and she said that her aunt looked so pale and gruesome with yellow teeth and chalk-like skin that she was repulsed.- That may be bending the truth a little, but it-s worth it if your parents do quit smoking. You can also mention what cigarettes are made up of (and I know they put some disgusting stuff in them). Another way to do this is try to make them feel really guilty (I mean, they kinda should be by making you and your sister inhaling second-hand smoke and making you feel uncomfortable). I don-t know if they smoke in front of you and/or in the house. If they do, then you can have your sister start coughing when your mom or dad puffs smoke in the same room or something (I start to cough when I smell cigarette smoke :P), and then act dramatic and say that you or your sister will end up dead in the hospital one day because of all the smoke. Secondhand smoke also kills quite frequently, so you can mention that too. Question if they really care about you and your sister....and tell them that it feels so horrible to deal with all the smoke everyday and the terrible fear that they (as in your parents) can die any moment. This could cause them to yell at you, but it-s worth a try.
You can also try this: talk to your mom and dad separately one day, and ask how they acquired the habit, and why they smoke. This way you can find out other ways to kill their habit. Try to understand, be calm when talking to them, and sweetly tell them (especially your mom) that you really care about them and don-t want to see them die. Quitting also means saving a lot of money.
And if you have any ideas yourself, try them out! Good luck with everything! :D
You are a very good kid who wants to help your parents.
The first thing you need to do is to make them want to quit. Your dad do want to quit. Good for him. Then your mom would have to persuade herself to quit for good. Since she loves you, I believe she will be willing to do it.
I smoked for 9 years and finally quit for good after quitting twice. I tried gum and fake cigarettes before. But now my body is actually rejecting cigarettes. How did I do it? I did some brainwash by reading an e-book. You can find it through the link in the source section. I really recommend it to your parents. It costs some money but much less than other ways. At least try it out because it has money back guarantee.
There are herbal supplements to help quit smoking. Plantain and Lobelia are two of the most popular herbs used to help wean people off cigarettes. Nature’s Way and Nature’s Answer are good brands. Price is around $5 -$15 online. For more information on how to quit smoking naturally please go to: www.VitaminGuineaPig.com.
Electronic Cigarettes are also another alternative for smokers to satisfy their cravings without emitting tobacco fumes. They contain less nicotine than regular cigarettes, and most do not produce secondhand smoke. If you go to youtube you will be able to find reviews for electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes will usually run you $60-$150 and $10-$15 for refills but will average to be cheaper in the long run since a carton of cigarettes is usually around $40.
Vitamin B complex and Citicoline may also help with depression, anxiety which many smokers suffer from. Products I like are Jarrow B-Right and Jarrow Citicoline. Jarrow B-Right $9 online and Citicoline is around $18 online.
How can I help my parents quit smoking? -