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August 2, 2006

Parents' Influence Weaken by Cigarette Media Ads

According to a study led by John Pierce, an epidemiologist at the University of California at San Diego, cigarette ads influence teens to smoke even when parents are highly involved in their lives. "Even if you do a good job of parenting, cigarette advertising can undermine your effectiveness," said Pierce. The researchers found that good parenting halves the risk that a teen will start smoking. For the study, good parenting was defined as setting limits for children and taking an active interest in their daily lives. It is important for parents to be an active person in their children's routine because adolescent often show signs of physical addiction to nicotine within five months of smoking their first cigarette. Of the 1,600 12 to 14 year-olds interviewed in this survey, 20 percent of teens who had involved and authoritative parents had tried cigarettes, while 40 percent of teens whose parents were less involved and less restrictive had started smoking. We need to teach our adolescents not to "buy" into the marketing schemes which glorify drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Keep talking to them about the long term effects smoking has on their body, the physical effects it has on them and the importance of staying healthy so they can live a longer life.

Posted by Pat Giuliani at 2:00 PM | Comments (1)

August 1, 2006

July Newsletter

Download file Back to School mode is in every department store, drugstore or grocery store you visit these days. We as parents need to make sure we are "Back to School" ready. Be sure to download the newsletter and get yourself prepared for the school year. The best way you can help your kids avoid destructive behavior is to spend time with them, talking to them about their friends, school activities, and asking them what they think. Research shows that knowing your kids, who they hang out with-and their parents-dramatically reduces the likelihood that they will get into trouble with tobacco, alcohol and drugs. So if you haven't joined Parent Corps download a membership form today and become involved with a large parent networking group at Walton High School.

Posted by Pat Giuliani at 2:03 PM | Comments (190)