Daughter caught smoking!

[divegirl]

HI, my charming 13 year old has been caught smoking....twice! First time she swore blind that she hadn't done it even though it was her brother who caught her and I grounded her for 6 weeks [the time between the 'offence' and when she goes on holiday]. Then tonight I get a call from her dad to say she has been seen again!

Here's the question...If I happen to meet her on the way home from school tomorrow will Boots test her for me on the Carbon Monoxide machine for me? Or my doctors maybe?

Lisa x

[bednobs]

unlikely without her consent
what is a carbon monoxide machine?

[4getmenot]

what will you do if its positive, groudning doesnt work. Didnt for me, they will smoke i they want to. But its amazing how many kids do smoke with the amount a pack of fags cost nowadays. stop any money she gets.

[JonnyBoy12]

Never having had the joys of parenthood would not know how to deal with this, but do NOT make her smoke a whole packet as a punishment. This could lead to her becoming addicted to them, and will defeat the whole object of the exercise. Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon, as it did with me and most of my friends.

[AlBags]

Oh dear ... end of the world.
Educate her .. and try to let her decide.
I don't think much else will work.

[divegirl]

I've already stopped all her money as has her Dad. I know grounding doesn't work but when I post on her facebook why she has been grounded the embarrassment may well kill her....lol

Bednobs...it;s a device they use in the smoking cessation clinic, you blow into it and it measures CM in the breath.

Anyone have a plan C for me?

Lisa x

[DTCwordfan]

arrange a visit to your local oncology ward and meet a young person with cancer from smoking (direct or passive smoking), the younger the better (not meaning to be harsh or disrespectful to the poor person who has it).

[237SJ]

Oh Divegirl your daughter reminds me of when I was 13! I don`t think getting a definitve answer about her smoking will make much difference. Like your daughter I swore blindly I hadn`t bought cigarettes. I came up with such elaborate lies which my mother believed. A carbon monoxide detector would be a waste of money. I don`t know the answer to your dilemma but hopefully, time will be of the essence and your daughter will eventually find out that smoking is unfashionable.

[bednobs]

can that machine tell if you've been somking?

[JonnyBoy12]

Brilliant answer, DTcrosswordfan. Can you arrange that for all the smokers in the world then?

[divegirl]

I hope so too!
I think I will meet her from school tomorrow, having allowed her time for a sneaky one, then tell her I'm taking her to Boots and what for...hopefully that will get her to admit it at least!
I suppose part of the issue here is the lying.

Oh well can but try...off to bed now and will catch up on any more answers in the morning...thanks everyone.

Lisa x

[B00]

Yes bednobs, within 20 minutes anyway.

I used that machine at the no somking clinic. At my first reading, whilst i was still a smoker it measured my carbon monoxide at 43%!!!!

After a week of not smoking, i was down to 2%.

I was told that within 20 minutes of not smoking your lungs start clearing.

[DTCwordfan]

No - but its a technique often arranged in the States re youngsters - and has a high success rate, not surprisingly........

[divegirl]

Yes it can Bednobs....non smokers only show a residual reading where as if you have smoked with in the last [I think] 12hours it shows a much higher reading.
Will keep the oncology ward in mind.

Lisa x

[anneasquith]

i dont think oncology wards would welcome people just popping in with a young person who has started smoking, there are ill people in these wards.

[sara3]

where is she getting the ciggies from?

[AlBags]

Why? You want some freebies, too? : )

[ELVIS68]

Brings back memories of coming home from school with a packet of 10 B&H hidden down my sock and a mouthful of Polo mints

[DTCwordfan]

they do in the US as (i) the preventitive measure and (ii) the patients welcome having the extra visitors........especially if schooldkid to schoolkid.

Nothing to do with this case but my elder (12) visits the cancer wards as one of her school friends has leukaemia - she ran into her on a Girl Scouts visit in the hospital and the Troop Leader allowed her to spend all her time with her school mate. She has gone back to visit others who she does not know as well on her own "volonte".....and has donated her hair for wig making.

Coincidentally, her great grandfather used to do this twice a month

[Sqad]

237SJ...is correct. There is nothing now that you can do, it is up to her.
All you will do is antagonize her which will make her want to smoke more and more.
Just keep your fingers crossed.
Do you or Mr divegirl smoke?

[Wak]

I used to tell my son and daughter when they were young that it may look clever and grown-up to smoke but if they think about it, the really clever people are the ones that don't smoke and never get hooked.
Neither of them have ever smoked as far as I know.
I stopped when I was 30 while they were still very young.
Best of luck with your daughter, DG.