Lifestyle Corner

Like adults, teenage smokers are likely to fail in their first few attempts at quitting, so it's important to encourage your child to not become discouraged. Many experts say that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine, and opium, and most ex-smokers report a number of false starts before saying goodbye to cigarettes forever. There is plenty of help available for teenagers who want to quit smoking, and studies show that a health care professional's advice can make a difference in some cases. Before your daughter's next checkup, call her physician and insist that he or she urge your daughter to quit.

The health care professional should also offer a referral to a local smoking-cessation program and prescribe nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), if necessary. Either nicotine patches or gum are appropriate for adolescents, although most teens will prefer the patch, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A nicotine nasal spray is available by prescription but, the Academy notes, it is not recommended for use by adolescents. The FDA has approved the antidepressant Zyban (bupropion) as a smoking-cessation aid, but the drug's safety and effectiveness in children under age 18 has not been established.

Other people benefit from a more orchestrated approach. One proven program is the American Lung Association's Not On Tobacco (N-O-T). According to the association's Web site, N-O-T was designed specifically for teens, using a gender-sensitive, 10-session curriculum that includes booster sessions. N-O-T incorporates life management skills to help teens deal with stress, decision-making, and peer and family relationships. Visit: www.lungusa.org. For information on bringing N-O-T to your community, contact the American Lung Association at 202-785-3355.

Online, there are dozens of programs that hold the quitter's hand virtually through each step of the smoking-cessation process. Here are two geared for teens:

• How Can I Quit Smoking? The Nemours Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to children's health, created this program especially for teens.

• LifeSign for Teens. A program for people age 21 and under that features a credit card-size computer to help smokers quit gradually. During the first week, users record each cigarette smoked. A computer then creates a "scheduled gradual reduction" protocol tailored to the smoker's individual habit. Cost: $49.95 for computer and toll-free support line. To order, call 800-543-3744 or visit www.lifesign.com.

How-to-Quit Tips to Share with Teens

Many smokers are able to quit on their own without using nicotine replacement therapy or other formal interventions. Here are some tips from the March of Dimes to share with your teen:

• Write down why you want to stop smoking.

• Choose a "Quit Day" some time in the next two weeks.

• Ask a nonsmoking "buddy " -- a friend or sibling, perhaps -to help you quit.

• Throw out all cigarettes, ashtrays, matches and lighters on your "Quit Day."

• Stay away from places and activities that make you want to smoke.

If you feel like smoking, do one of the following instead:

• Brush your teeth.

• Go for a walk.

• Call a friend.

• Drink water or juice.

• Chew sugarless gums or eat carrot sticks.

• Take a deep breath and count to five. Let the air out slowly. Repeat five times.

• Refer back to your list of reasons for quitting.

• Keep your hands busy. Find things to do with your hands so you can't hold a cigarette.

• Tell yourself, "I can quit smoking."

Pamela M. Peeke MD, MPH, Pew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism, is Medical Advisor to the NWHRC; she also is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and author of the best selling book Fight Fat After Forty (Viking Press, 2000).