I am 15 and a lot of my friends smoke. I know it is bad for them but I don’t understand why. Please could you explain and any ideas on what I can say to try and make them stop?

Firstly, congratulations for not following the herd and what a great friend you are – you obviously have your friends wellbeing at heart!

It has been shown that most people who started smoking as teenagers will eventually be killed by the effects of tobacco. Sound scary? Well - it is.

Cigarette smoke is made up of about 400 different chemicals including carbon monoxide, arsenic (a deadly poison used in insecticides) and formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies!)... how lovely!

These chemicals can cause many different kinds of diseases. High levels of carbon monoxide in the blood means that not enough oxygen is present. The heart has to work much harder to get the available oxygen all round the body and this can lead to heart disease in the future, which can cause heart attacks. Added to that, smoking makes the blood sticky which can also increase the risk of heart attack.

Smoking can also contribute to cancer, bronchitis, strokes, stomach ulcers... the list goes on!

Some common situations

Your friends might say: Smoking makes me look mature
You say: Yes, by giving you wrinkles, yellow teeth and skin like leather!

Your friends might say: Smoking is sexy
You say: Yes, if you think kissing someone with a mouth like an ashtray is sexy or if you find lung cancer sexy.

Your friends might say: I do it cos my mates do it
You say: If they are truly your mates they will respect your feelings. In the end no one forces you to smoke – it is always your choice. Stand out from the crowd and be proud to say that you are a non smoker!