Q.  I'm looking for a new twist to convince my 15 year old not to start smoking. She's not impressed by diseases that may occur 40 years from now. When I mention that her clothes will smell and her breath will reek of tobacco, she says all her friends smoke so……. Give me something to try!

A.  Well, here's an idea: Appeal to her wallet. Certainly she is planning to buy these herself and she has other expenses as well (for clothes, makeup, movies, CDs, etc.) and maybe she's hoping to buy a car someday. 

Do your homework first by pricing cigarettes (by the pack). Then take her to http://www.health.org/features/interact/calc/ and key in a pack a day. Show her how much money she'll save by not smoking. Ask her what she'd buy (or what she'll give up in order to pay for the cigarette addiction). It's worth a try. 

If that fails, make your stand. No smoking until she is of legal age. It's the law.

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