Signs Your Teen Is Smoking
If you are worried about whether your teenager has started smoking, you should know that your worries make sense, as adolescence is the stage when young people have their first experiences with cigarettes, alcohol or drugs. So, in this article, we’re going to find out what the signs are that your teenager is smoking.
Unlike many substances, cigarette smoking can be harder to detect in teenagers. In fact, the physical signs are significantly less noticeable than with alcohol or drugs, which makes it more difficult for parents to detect some signs of addiction in their children.
How can you tell if your teenager is smoking?
Here are the signs that your teenager is smoking:
1. Possession of products related to this habit
The clearest sign that your child is smoking is the sudden presence of cigarette-related products, such as packs, lighters, loose tobacco, tissue paper, etc. Typically, these types of items are hidden in teenagers’ backpacks, pockets, drawers, or cars.
Be careful: it is never advisable to invade your child’s privacy. However, it’s good to keep more control if you’re considering the possibility that your teenager is smoking, after all, in these cases, any object you find in his room can provide an answer to all your doubts.
2. Mood swings
Mood swings are one of the symptoms that most clearly indicate that your teenager is smoking. This can be noticed when the young person spends a long time without smoking, due to the addiction that nicotine causes.
In these situations, it is possible for him to demonstrate aggressive behavior, rude attitudes or irritability. In fact, some studies confirm that smoking, one of the most consumed drugs in Brazil, interferes with teenagers’ mood.
3. Bad smell
On the other hand, you should take into account that teenagers who smoke often also have a strong smoke odor. In fact, many of them are not aware of the extreme nature of the odor that cigarette smoke causes and consider – wrongly – that bathing or oral hygiene are sufficient to prevent this.
This is certainly the most obvious warning sign that teenagers are smoking. So, if you notice that your teenager smells like cigarette smoke, it’s likely that he or she has adopted this habit.
4. Bedroom windows open
If you notice that he leaves his bedroom windows open for too long, this could be one of the most obvious signs that your teenager is smoking.
The desire to open the window frequently, even if it’s cold, responds to an attempt on the part of teenage smokers to ventilate the room in order to avoid the smell of smoke.
Even if they don’t smoke inside the room, the odor will automatically pass from the clothes into the room. And they, of course, know it.
5. Excuses for leaving
Fifth and last, you need to know that it is entirely natural for your teenager to want to get out of the house occasionally and have their own space. However, if you notice that your child is asking permission to go out frequently, it could also be another of the more obvious signs that your child is smoking.
For this reason, it is recommended that you be alert to any behavior that indicates your child is spending more time away from home than necessary. This can be especially true if the young person is looking for reasons to continually go out, even when the weather is not favorable.
In summary, if you are sure your teenager is smoking, with the above list of tips, you already have proper tools to assess the situation.
However, as a mother, you shouldn’t worry too much, as adolescence is a time when teenagers want to discover the world around them.
Therefore, it is a time of total discovery, even if it means taking actions that are harmful to health. However, we are convinced that a good mother-to-child conversation will put things in their place!
