Parents have lots of responsibilities when their children are babies, but when they become teenagers, changing nappies might sometimes seem preferable to dealing with issues such as drinking, dating and drugs. You want your kids to get the best from life and be healthy, so encouraging them not to smoke is an obvious step.

Even if you currently smoke, you know the disadvantages to your health as well as to your bank balance, and most parents are keen for their children to avoid making the same mistakes.

At school, children are taught about the effects of smoking, and you can carry on with this at home. When a soap character is smoking or has lung cancer, or if stories such as banning smoking in public places are in the news, take the opportunity to talk about it with your kids.

Talk about issues that are relevant to the child's age, for example, a teenager might be persuaded by knowing that kissing a smoker tastes unpleasant, or that smoking makes you smell or cough unattractively.

From 1 October 2007, it is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18. The previous age limit was 16. This includes the purchase of cigars, loose rolling tobacco, rolling papers and cigarettes from vending machines. Make sure your child knows that not only will smoking seriously damage their health, it is also illegal for them to purchase tobacco, and could get them into trouble.

If you find out that your child has been smoking, try to find out why. Many children say peer pressure is the main reason they start smoking, so ask about friendships and whether your child has been bullied, or if they're just trying to fit in with the in-crowd.

Teenagers often like to do things that are seen as against the rules or dangerous, so try to explain why you are upset, and that keeping up with schoolmates isn't worth risking their health.

Help them to access doctors or facilities such as the NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 022 4 332), and see if your child's school has any plans to deal with smoking. Children aged 12 to 17 can now be prescribed nicotine gum and patches to help deal with any cravings. Speak to your GP to find out more.