My wife is highly upset. She went to our son’s room to get a book he had borrowed from her last week. She was rummaging in the cupboard when she found a packet of cigarettes hidden between the layers of clothes. She was highly shocked. I must say, I am also shocked. I did not have the least idea that my son smokes.

My wife is all agitated and has planned to scold him. She has decided to confront him and order him straightaway to stop smoking. I don’t know if that is the correct way. I am afraid this kind of action will lead to a more rebellious reaction. I think the matter should be handled in a mature, calm way.

I must confess- I myself smoked for a shot period of time in high school. Actually this is the age when you feel like trying all the forbidden things. All my friends used to smoke and I felt out of the group. They all used to laugh at me and call me a ‘sissy’. So I started smoking with a vengeance. I never told my mom and sister about it. All this while I knew I was doing wrong but still I kept on doing it.

Actually I used to think that I will stop smoking whenever I will want it. I had this complete confidence that I have full control over myself. I didn’t realize when and how I became a chain smoker. I would smoke about twenty cigarettes in one day. And then one day I read this article about a young boy who died of lung cancer.

I knew all this while but somehow that article hit me very hard. I realized that I could also die like that one day. I thought and realized that my mom and sister were working so hard to bring me up and here I was puffing and smoking away their dreams. I had absolutely no right to it. From that day- I started limiting the number of cigarettes.

In six months I was completely clean. It took a lot of will power and patience but it made me a happy, healthy and peaceful guy. So I don’t think one can force someone to leave smoking. We can only show all the sides and then leave it to the person to take a decision. I am planning to do this with my son.

I am waiting eagerly for him. I have talked to my wife also. She has agreed upon this strategy. Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ and his wife talked calmly to their son and told him that smoking is bad for him. The son was pretty irritated and refused to listen to their lecture. Days passed on until one day the son came and told them that he has left smoking. He apologized and the family celebrated.