by Guest Writer, Dr. Gilboa of Ask Dr. G

We all have dreams for our children’s futures. As varied as those dreams may be, none of us wishes for a child who will grow up to be a smoker.  All parents have habits and addictions that we hope we can spare our children.  There is much that parents can do, even smoking parents, to steer our kids successfully away from this path.

While it is true that kids whose parents smoke are more likely to become smokers themselves, there is a lot of hope! First of all, parents can take advantage of the optimism of their children.  Kids whose parents are still smoking when the child is age 12 are twice as often smokers as teens and adults. Parents who quit when their children are younger than that can teach the best lesson to their children: “This was a big mistake, and I fixed it!”

The best way to help our kids see that we wish we didn’t smoke is to talk about it.  Not to lecture and threaten, but to express our own emotions, and talk openly about why we started and how hard it is to stop.  Talk to your kids about what you are doing to be healthier. Continue Reading

For some smokers, finding an alternative to traditional cigarettes is personal; very personal. Smoking is not limited to only young people or old. Cigarettes encompass the lives of middle-class Americans raising families of their own. With every craving and cigarette lit, a smoker can look around and see their future running around them, laughing and [...]