Here Are Some Signs to See if Your Child Is at Risk for Tobacco Use
Without constant communication about their day-to-day activities, it is easy for parents to begin to lose touch with their children, increasing their chances of making bad decisions, such as trying tobacco. Lack of communication and an apathetic or confrontational attitude are warning signs your child may become a victim of peer pressure.
Running With a Different Crowd
A shift in friends can lead to experimental tobacco use as a vehicle of acceptance into a new crowd. Unusual misbehavior or a drastic change in look or dress signals that he or she may have fallen in with the wrong crowd.
Couch Potato Syndrome
Children with lower levels of school achievement are at greater risk than their peers to use tobacco because they may not have goals or specific reasons to deter them from trying it. A lack of interest in school/community activities can be a sign that your child feels isolated. Experimenting with cigarettes could be an outlet to fill this void.
Follow the Leader
A low level of self-esteem can lead children to look toward substances such as tobacco to make themselves feel better or more accepted. The inability to make decisions could mean your child tends to be a follower instead of a leader, increasing their chances of experimentation if they start making friends with the wrong crowd.