Smoking not only affects the teens and adults who actively smoke, but also younger children in the home too. The Partnership for America's Economic Success estimates that up to half of all kids are exposed to smoking at home. Teaching children about the dangers of smoking during their preschool years can prevent some of them from indulging in the unhealthy, expensive habit as they grow older.
Step 1
Speak to preschoolers about smoking in terms they will understand to teach them not to smoke. Words like "smelly," "stinky," "yucky" are terms that most children not only understand but like to use. Talk about how smoking can make you sick, instead of focusing on the fact that people can die from a nicotine habit.
Scaring preschool-aged children may unnecessarily introduce them to more fears; discussing the lethal component of smoking can wait until they are a few years older.
Step 2
Teach preschoolers about smoking prevention with the use of props. Show the kids pictures of teeth that have been yellowed by tobacco use. Compare pictures of healthy, pink lungs and diseased, blackened lungs to help young children understand that smoking can hurt their bodies. Unpleasant images can help even the youngest of children realize that smoking is not good for them. Offer the class a whiff of a piece of clothing that has been worn by a smoker and ask if they want to smell like smoke all the time.
Step 3
Give children worksheets or coloring books that contain fun activities for them to complete while you teach them the importance of staying smoke-free. A 1990 issue of the "Journal of Cancer Education" showed that preschoolers were more likely to protect themselves from smoking after participating in smoking prevention activities that included coloring and stories.
Step 4
Employ animal mascots to visit a preschool class and emphasize how unhealthy smoking can be. The University of New Hampshire introduced the interactive character Samantha the Magenta Skunk to more than 15 states across the United States to talk about smoking prevention to children. The children have a chance to meet, hug and give high fives to the mascot, which is a person dressed in a costume. Children may be more likely to listen to the important anti-smoking messages the mascot delivers to them.
Step 5
Set a good example at home by not smoking. Your preschooler may learn about smoking and other unhealthy behaviors at school, but the lessons she learns will not be as effective if she sees you smoking at home.
Things You'll Need
- Photographs
- Smoke-infused clothing
- Crayons
- Worksheets
References
- KidsHealth from Nemours: Smoking Stinks!
- Partnership for America's Economic Success: Early Childhood Health Problems and Prevention Strategies: Costs and Benefits
- Greene County Tobacco Control Program: Tobacco Education Programs
- "Journal of Cancer Education"; Expectations of Preschool Children to Protect Themselves From Cigarette Smoke: Results of a Smoking Prevention Program for Preschool Children; B. Phillips et al; 1990.
- University of New Hampshire: Samantha the Magenta Skunk
