Parent’s page

THE LAW IN GUERNSEY:

According to Guernsey Law, it is illegal for cigarettes to be sold or supplied to a person under the age of 18. It means that it is the person who supplied them to you who is breaking the law.

Message to the parents:

 

 

 

Whether you smoke or not, you are a role model for your children. You influence the behaviour of your children more than anyone, including professionals such as teachers, social workers and the police. Your actions, attitudes and opinions will have an impact on them. Here are some tips that might help you protect your children from the dangers of smoking:

•    Disapprove of smoking - your children are 7 times less likely to smoke if you strongly disapprove – this is still true even if the parent is a smoker.

•    If you smoke, tell them that you wish you had never started and that you did not know the impacts that cigarettes could have on your body.

•    If you smoke, share your struggle with your children to prove that addiction makes is hard to quit.

•    Make sure your children know the immediate effects of smoking because they tend to think that they will be affected only in their middle age.

•    Even if you do smoke, try to make your home and your car smoke-free as you will be sending a powerful message to your children i.e smoking is undesirable.

•    Try not to smoke in front of your children and protect them from other people who smoke.

•    Never leave cigarettes lying around as this may increase the temptation to experiment.

For more guidance on how to help your children check the fact sheet ‘HOW PARENTS CAN PROTECT THEIR KIDS FROM BECOMING ADDICTED SMOKERS’ (http://tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0152.pdf)