Tips for Tobacco Prevention
By Dr. Robert Pendergrast
Director of Adolescent Medicine
MCG Health System

November 11, 2002

Augusta, Ga. -- Despite a decrease in the overall number of smokers, every day more than 6,000 adolescents under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 3,000 become daily smokers. Clearly, the need for education and for the implementation of programs to help smokers quit is still great.

The Great American Smokeout is held annually on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. It is a perfect opportunity for parents to begin a dialogue about the dangers of smoking. Some starting points might be:

Offer age-appropriate messages to help children of all ages understand the health risks.
Emphasize the drawbacks of the habit that they may be experiencing themselves-the cost of cigarettes, the smell, the stained fingernails, even the way they have less energy or cough when they play their favorite sports.
Encourage your teen to seek the advice of a physician, who can lend authoritative support to parents and psychological support to teens trying to quit. In addition, physicians can provide prescription or non-prescription medications to help suppress the nicotine cravings.
Remember, most of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal occur during the first three months of quitting. Support from parents, friends and others is critical.
Begin early. Start talking to children as young as kindergarten and elementary school age about smoking's drawbacks.

MCG HealthCare is the health system of the Medical College of Georgia and is comprised of MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty of the School of Medicine and the members of the Physicians Practice Group. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Hospitals and Clinics, Children's Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by offering the highest level of primary and specialty health care.