ell your children that smoking is not cool and that it kills. It’s an important message that parents need to get to kids. Preventing kids from taking that first puff on a cigarette is key to their never beginning an often lifelong and life-threatening habit. Unfortunately, though, every day 3,000 kids become regular smokers.

Statistics show that most adult smokers began smoking before they were 18, and the average youth smoker begins at age 13. A recent study shows that smoking rates for high school students rose from 27.5 percent to 36.4 percent between 1991 and 1997. One of the reasons is that the rising use among young people coincides with aggressive tobacco marketing campaigns targeted toward youth.

Here are some important steps you can take:

• Support community efforts to eliminate sales to minors.
• Push your school system to increase anti-smoking educational programs.
• Make youth smoking an issue in upcoming election campaigns.
• Find out what is being done in your community by contacting your local children’s hospital.

Fighting smoking is an effort that helps everyone. Make sure you get involved by starting with your own kids.