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Protect Your Kids


Tobacco never quits. And neither should you.

Many parents think drugs and alcohol are the greatest health threats to their children. But tobacco kills more people than illegal drugs, alcohol, AIDS, and car crashes combined.

There is no reason to feel helpless. As a parent, you’re the greatest influence in your child’s life. That is true despite all of the peer pressure, web, TV, and movies your child is exposed to.

Try these tips:

1. Start early:

  • Once is not enough. Start an ongoing conversation with your kids about tobacco at age 5 or 6, and continue through high school.
  • Don’t wait. Some children begin smoking at 11 and are addicted by their early teens.
  • As your kids get older, discuss the heath effects of tobacco in more detail.

2. Use these facts:

  • Tobacco contains nicotine, one of the most addictive drugs known. It’s a hard addiction to break at any age.
  • No cigarette—whether filtered, low-tar, or additive-free—is safe.
  • Young people often ignore the long-term dangers of smoking, but they will notice some effects right away: yellow teeth, bad breath, smelly clothes.
  • The tobacco industry has fooled many people into thinking that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes because it produces no smoke. Smokeless tobacco is just as dangerous, leading to addiction and disease.

3. Don't allow smoking in your home:

  • Set a strict rule that tobacco can’t be used in your home. If guests, friends, or relatives insist on smoking, send them outside.
  • Protect your family by taking the Smoke-Free Homes Pledge.

4. Talk about tobacco messages and ads:

  • Smoking is made to look glamorous in movies, television, and ads. The reality of tobacco use is far different, with very ugly results… rotting gums, wrinkles, disease, and early death.
  • Don’t let your child wear clothing or carry items such as backpacks with tobacco brand names. This is just more advertising for the multi-billion-dollar tobacco industry.

5. Teach your child ways to refuse tobacco:

  • Say “NO” firmly.
  • Give a reason why—“I’m not into smoking” or “My parents would kill me.”
  • Leave—go home or have another excuse.

6. Keep the topic of addiction part of your ongoing conversation with your child:

  • Kids are extremely vulnerable to the highly addictive nature of tobacco.
  • More than a third of all youth that try smoking become regular, daily smokers before leaving high school.
  • Symptoms of addiction (strong urges to smoke, anxiety, or irritability) can appear in young children weeks or even days after occasional smoking first begins, and well before daily smoking has even started.
  • Almost three out of every four regular high school smokers have already tried to quit but failed.

7. Tell your child what you will do if you find them using tobacco:

  • Be clear with your child that there will be punishment. This might be taking away privileges such as playing video games, driving, going to the movies, etc.
  • Always follow through to show that you are serious.

8. Get involved with the community:

  • Ask your local school to offer tobacco education as part of a health, english, or science class.
  • Insist that school events are tobacco-free.
  • Work with other parents or organizations such as the PTA to meet your goals.

9. Ask experts for their advice:

  • Start by asking your child’s doctor. Health professionals are good sources of information, and they already know your family.
  • Talk to parents who have raised tobacco-free children. What they learned could be very helpful.

10. If your child is already using tobacco:

  • Advise your child to stop.
  • Be helpful and respectful.
  • Work with your child to find his or her own reasons to quit.
  • Set a quit date and work toward it.
  • Ask your child’s doctor for help.
  • Have your child call the Maine Tobacco HelpLine youth number at 1-800-NEW-CHOICE (1-800-639-2464).
  • You could also call the regular Maine Tobacco HelpLine (1-800-207-1230) to receive useful information about helping teens quit.

11. For more resources and help, please visit:

© Healthy Maine Partnerships, Partnership For A Tobacco-Free Maine. All Rights Reserved.