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Teen Smoking
"If my dad thinks I’m too smart to smoke, than I’ve got to have faith in myself."
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By Kalid Mohammed
Parents want to know how they can stop their kids from smoking. To tell you the truth, you can’t.
To tell you the truth, I first tried out a cigarette when I was in third grade. Now I know that’s very early, but what made me try it was seeing my 20 year-old uncle smoking. He was the coolest and he was famous in the neighborhood, and because I admired him I wanted to do everything that he did.
I didn’t get caught that day in third grade. But even if I had, a severe punishment wouldn’t have done much good in changing my behavior. I don’t smoke today because my parents made it clear to me that smoking is dumb. When my dad talked to me about smoking he said, “Smoking will wear your body down, man. I don’t have to tell you more. You’re smarter than that.” That right there helped me understand that if my dad thinks I’m too smart to smoke, than I’ve got to have faith in myself and not let peer pressure get to me.
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