Saw something last night that shocked me

[Quinn222]

When my siblings were teens they started smoking. Of course my mom knew it pretty quickly and she told them not to go behind her back. She figured if she made it 'forbidden fruit' it would be a bigger deal to them. Also she was afraid they would smoke secretly and burn down the house or the woods behind the house! It worked for her and for me. They all quit by their early twenties and the stench of smoke was so awful I never started.

 

[Sleepy]

How can someone live in Bella Italia and miss American junk food?

Bella You forget, I am in the armpit of Europe. THis is the dirtiest, most polluted city in all of Italy, but they are trying. Yes, I do miss good American junk food. I'm sick of having to cook it myself when I want it.

 

[powellrj]

my oldest DS started smoking when he was a senior in high school. Before that he was the poster child for anti-smoking. He got an afterschool job that gave smoking breaks, so he decided to take up smoking so he could go on break too. That was the dumbest reason I had ever heard, but that was how his teenaged brain worked.

He kept smoking while he was in Iraq, but he has just about stopped thank goodness. The strangest thing is, he has never smoked in front of me. He will tell me he has to go and will be back in a few minutes. I have asked him before why he never smokes in front of me and he says its because he knows I don't like it.

 

[Nancyg56]

Like Deb, I strongly disagree with this statement. True, smoking is not as prevalant in American society as it was 20 years ago, there are still a lot of smokers. I can't tell you how many people I know who have tried to quit, but can't, knowing full well the long-term effects smoking will have on their health. And this battle affects all Americans who buy health insurance, as health insurance rates are inflated by the costs of long-term care for smokers and even former smokers. I think the OP has proved by this very thread that the fight against smoking is not over, because it showed that yet another 12 year old is learning that smoking is okay, from her very own mother. Unless she has a very strong will and/or strong constitution, she will most likely (going by statistics) become addicted to nicotine, smoke cigarettes most of her life, have smoking-related health problems later on, and end up costing herself and all of us a lot of money in what should have been unnecessary health care costs.

There are many people who are simply fat, and not because they eat too much, or get bad nutrition. They are just born that way, and they are not necessarily unhealthy. I'm a skinny guy (or was), and a friend of mine who is probably 65 pounds heavier than me can out-race me on a track and can out-play me in racquetball, simply because he's in better shape than I am. I'm no slob. He's just a healthier guy genetically than me. This guy, who is technically obese but does not smoke, is far, far healthier than anyone I know who smokes more than half a pack a day, but are my weight or thinner.

I think the fight against smoking has a long, long way to go before it can be considered "won". I don't want to discount obesity as a problem, but just because obesity is a problem does not mean we've gotten rid of smoking as a problem.

I agree with your well written statement. While I will agree that childhood obesity is a problem, it is a problem that can be overcome. A larger issue that we need to address is the number of kids, primarily young women, who smoke in order to keep their weight down.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Sadly, this is what our world is coming to. Parent's are much more liberal with their kids, because 'heck, who I am to say anything, when I smoked at that age"

Or, "I will let my kid know the dangers of smoking, but they should be able to make the decision."


Be afraid for future generations, be very afraid!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

It is really shocking. Lately, I've seen a lot of teens driving around with their parents. Both of them smoking! What happened to the days when parents used to make you smoke the whole pack at once if they caught you smoking? It seems as if parents think it is ok for teens to smoke lately. I don't understand it anymore.

jenn, i believe you live in my neighborhood.
if you see my dd (6 & 9th grade) doing that please feel free t smack them

how could the parents actually allowtheir teens to smoke ?

 

[disney junky]

That's nothing....

Check this out!!!!!

http://www.eveningsun.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3784928

Incentive to do homework

 

[Evil Queen]

That's nothing....

Check this out!!!!!

http://www.eveningsun.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3784928

Incentive to do homework

WTH?

 

[Tamarap]

I guess I am shocked but not surprised. Everything seems to be starting younger and younger. Whenever I see things like this I just take the opportunity to drive home my views with my children.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

If the parents smoke though, is there anything much they can say to her to make her stop? It's one of those, "You do it..." things.

PS- Didn't read anythign but the OP, so I'm really nit sure what else has been said on the topic.