My 16 yr old sister started smoking

Hey guys,

I was hoping you could give me advice on how to get through my sister. My 17 yr old cousin came to my house for the holidays, and he has been staying here. Well, he somehow influenced my sisters to start smoking. While my other sister is 19 yrs old, I can't let go of the fact that my youngest sister who is 16 just started smoking a day ago and she has gone through quite a few cigarettes. I tried telling her not to, but her reaction is usually, "We're all going to die anyway. I want to smoke. It's no big deal." She promised she'll stop, but obviously she hasn't..

What should I do?

My parents are of no help really. She promised our mom she wouldn't do it, but yet there she is doing it behind our mom's back.

She gets mad whenever I bring the topic on.

It's the age old problem...the more someone tells someone not to do it, the more they do it...What a friend of mine did is whenever she found a packet of cigs in the house, dip the filters in vinegar then put them back in the packet. She kept having to buy new packs which cost her a fortune and she quit in the end

It sure beats me. I live in one town and work in another. It's like the town I work in never heard cigs are bad. So I see more folks down there that smoke than don't. For me they're gross, skanky, and a turn-off. Long-term you get that cough and alligator skin. I tried 'em a couple times; I didn't get it. I still don't.

She needs to realise that she's making a life long commitment that will haunt her everywhere she goes long after she wanted the commitment broken.

Smoking is the BIGGEST incovenience that some can inflict themselves with.

Right now, while she's not attached yet she doesn't have the KNOWLEDGE of the benefit to her senses that cigarettes can be.

And what people don't know better about, they won't want. But aside from senses cigarettes are DESTRUCTIVE to everything else.

She'll turn away people in social situations. She risks her health greatly and she might be where I'm at today where I go through EXTREME psychological suffering without the nicotine fix but can't afford to get that fix.

Just put it to her like this "For the same reason that she would think that snorting coke is a bad idea, cigarettes are ten times worse because it is said that a cocaine habit is much easier to quit and probably much easier to afford in the long run."

Lol if that works then I say go for it...but coke is way more expensive.

Take her to meet a cancer patient...so she can see the painful death that they are going through...Dieing early isnt as scary as dieing a long painful death...and when she sees it first hand...might put some sense in her head.

Forget it, no-one can tell a teen-age girl anything, all you can do is make it worse.
I'm serious, NOT joking, stand back, leave her alone, she will or will not come to her senses, the only thing you can achieve by sticking your nose in is to drive her further away, and to risk making an "enemy" of yourself, long-term.

It Sucks big-time, but that's life, "be there as a non-judgmental friend and you'll be there at the end" is an old Hippy maxim that has a deep core of truth, hey?

Yeah, I know I stuffed it up, I can't remember the rhyme, but you get the idea?

Have yer sit next to my dad for 5 minutes and tell her "This is how you're going to smell 24 hours a day no matter how many showers you take or perfume you slather on."

People aged 16 think they're indestructable, so I'm not sure all the "you might get cancer" stuff would work.

I've got to say I'm amazed people still smoke - that is to say younger people still do, as it must be one of the uncoolest, most "old people habit" things anyone can do.
But people think they look "big and hard" by doing it.

Fact is, there are very few adult smokers in their 30's, 40's who actually enjoy smoking, and next to none who think it's "cool" or fashionable to do so. They morelike just wish they hadn't to begin with, but it's become a bit of a habit, something to do, but one which in the grand scheme of things isn't doing THAT much harm - it's not like they're injecting heroin is it.

What might work to anyone, is to go observe in town the smokers. Look outside the pubs and bingo halls, and the rows of smokers stood outside aren't the young and fashionable in the main, they are rows of middle aged to old, usually boot faced unhappy looking people (The happier smokers have more dignity than to stand outside a bingo hall). There have been instances of busloads of teenagers shouting out the window "you sad bastards" - something the pro smoking lobby could see coming when they protested about the making illegal of smoking rooms at work.

Another thing - have a look at any of the online dating sites, you will see profile after profile of people who insist their partner "must not be a smoker".

Taking this up is akin to taking up listening to Max Bygraves records or digging an allotment - very old person, but do it and you get hooked quite quickly. Tobacco is a weird thing, it doesn't really do much when smoking it, it isn't like smoking pot, but heck, once you stop, you really want another so badly you just have to have one.

I've nothing at all against smokers, funny thing is, smoke doesn't bother me. I wouldn't kiss a heavy smoker in a million years Think on this though, I was only ever a light/social smoker. It took me three solid days of insomnia and shivering, and a further 12 years to stop wanting one

I smoke cigarettes and I enjoy it. I have about 3 a day though. It is hard because it is not illegal for her to smoke. Only the sale of tobacco is illegal to minors. I would look into where she is getting cigarettes and get evidence and report the person giving her cigarettes or the products to make cigarettes.

I agree with the all three of the posts above me.

This also might be of some use: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B83YO20091209

Unfortunately there's not much you can really do. I started smoking when I was 16 and nothing that people said to me would have put me off it... 2 years on and I do realise what I'm doing to myself but I don't want to give it up. You can't make her stop, is what I'm saying, I guess. Maybe if you're that concerned you should tell your mom, that'll probably scare her into quitting

Tried it once when i was in high school just dont see what its all about. all you are doing is introducing thermaldahide into your body.

Tell the mother, she has more chance of talking some sense into her. Also see if you can find any images on google of the effects of smoking (yellow teeth, tar on lungs, the scary stuff), might make her think twice. Oh and trying to make her see just how much money she's going to be spending on cigarettes is also a good idea. Once she sees just how much money is going up in smoke she may be more willing to see why smoking is a bad thing to take up.

uhhh show her a picture on google of what it does to your lungs?
it didnt work for me but for a normal person who likes their health it might
smoking sucks and the best way to quit is to never start!
and this coming from a smoker of 5 years...how much ignorance can you stuff inside one person lol

Never tried it. My best friends and boyfriend smoke, but I don't and won't.

Just remind her how expensive of an addiction it is. If you're going through 1, 2 packs a day, that could be $15 a day.

Let her know that you care, but if she doesn't stop, you're going to tell your mom.

If you use an aggressive appoach, it'll just push her away.