Ever wonder why those camels have such a "cartoon character" look about them? And why all those free coupons for cigarettes come in the mail so frequently? According to Non-Smoking Advocates and researchers, as more adult smokers are committing and conforming to quitting, the tobacco industry is feeling the crunch. They are subliminally and outrightly targeting our preteens and teenagers instead. A teenager lured into the trap of addiction to nicotine, is, after all, a lifetime paying member in the making. This is why a proactive approach to stop your teenager from smoking before he or she starts is more important now than ever before.
The Fab Five Action Plan
Recent polls reported that nearly 25 thousand adults have committed to a smoking cessation program beginning 2009. This represents a 9% percent increase since 2008. And with the number of "True Fact" Stop smoking commercials on television and city billboards, tobacco companies are feeling the pinch.
This means less money is being spent to stop smoking than smoking and with the recent hike in cigarettes prices, researcher are optimistic that the number of smokers between the ages of 25 and 45 will stop or begin a smoking cessation program within the next year.
The tobacco industry banks on the total number of smoker's buying cigarettes at a rate of at least 1 pack a day, which equals per person nearly 365 packs of cigarettes sold each year. When you calculate the cost per pack, which on national average is $5.00 dollars that's more than $1,825.00 dollars per year per smoker in revenues the tobacco companies are counting on.
So when you multiply annual revenues by 1,000,000 million smokers each year, it's obvious why a 9% increase in non smokers among smokers has made the tobacco industry nervous. This nervousness is what's causing the tobacco industry to start looking at a new generation of teenage smokers.
The reason the tobacco industry is targeting teenagers is to increase the number of smokers that will commit to this nasty habit much longer by starting at a much younger age.
Review these 5 proactive ways to stop your teenager from smoking before they get started and educate them on the hidden conspiracy that could land them in the intensive care unit of the local cancer treatment center 30 years from now.
Lead by Example - It is without question that the task to convince teenagers to stop smoking is much harder if their parents smoke. Leading by example is one of the most affective approaches to helping teens avoid smoking in the future. When you think about it a parent who smokes really can tell a teen not to smoke, this is hypocritical at best and if parents don't realize this has an impact on a teenagers decision to start smoking or even stop smoking for that matter, think again.
Proactive Volunteer work - Giving a teenager a visual explanation to stop smoking is ideal, especially when you suggest working as a volunteer in the cancer ward of the local hospital. Teenagers are example seekers and instead of telling them the hard facts and statistics, which is like talking to the wall, give teenagers a reason to stop smoking by showing them the reality of a smoker's life and their final destination.
Peer Perceptions - Most teens are confused about fitting in, and unlike the pass where smoking was consider cool let teenagers hear from their peers that's its not. We all know that peer pressure is one of the most common reasons teenagers start smoking , by allowing a forum and room for peer dialogue could be the right medicine a teen needs to stop smoking or not start at all.
Don't Preach - preaching to the choir is one of the worse ways to get trough to a teenager about smoking. Whether the teen is smoking or has tried it once or twice, reading them the riot act will only force them into the habit instead of deterring them. While most parents want to get the facts across most often preaching, yelling and other forms of verbal or physical reprimand can have the opposite effect. Talking to your teenager about smoking as if they're an adult not only caters to a teenager ego in terms of them knowing everything, but it also gives them a reason to communicate. And this is what every parents wants.
Research - Don't give your teenagers your reasons to stop smoking, help teenagers stop smoking by making them do the research and coming up with reasons for themselves. By setting a teen on the task to discover the pro's and con's of smoking in their eyes is a better way to target a teenager's misconception of the image of smoking. Remember teenagers are example seekers so by allowing a teenager to set his or her own examples of the hazards of smoking might be the edge parents need to convince their teenager that smoking is dangerous.
Teenagers have multiple reasons to start smoking but with a little guidance using these proactive methods, parents can convince teenagers to stop smoking without stressing out in the process. Find out the most common reasons teenagers smoke and evaluate your teenager to see if he is at risk of falling prey to the tobacco industry's new generation of smoker's campaigns before it's too late.
State and community programs are there to help parents learn ways to stop their teenagers from smoking after they've started; but now is the time to target teenagers who haven't started.  Even before they begin to develop the habit. Before they start.  Get the facts by going online and researching the statistics for yourself.  And call your local program they are just living to help you.