Seven Tips to Prevent Tobacco Use

1. The example of nonsmoking parents is basic to the prevention of tobacco use.

2. A strong parent-child relationship allows discussion of the physical and spiritual benefits of living the Word of Wisdom.

3. Church activity has a strong protective effect and provides friends who do not use tobacco.

4. Well-conceived school programs help youth see both the long-term and short-term risks of tobacco use.

5. Skills that help youth recognize and resist peer pressure are essential. When youth learn that the vast majority of adults and teens choose not to smoke, they are more likely to choose not to smoke also.

6. Teaching children to recognize the unrealistic glamorization of smoking in the media helps them see deceptive messages in cigarette advertising.

7. Adults can be anxiously engaged in implementing social policies that deter smoking. State and national tobacco control programs, including indoor clean-air laws, increased taxes on cigarettes, and regulation of the tobacco industry, have demonstrated impressive reductions in tobacco use. Well-funded, sustained anti-smoking media campaigns are also effective in reducing cigarette consumption.