CLASSMATE BRINGS CIGS INTO SCHOOL

Dear Coleen

There’s a girl in my class who is smoking and she’s only 13. She was searched once by teachers because one of the pupils told them she had cigarettes on her, but she managed to hide them and so nothing else happened.

But the whole class knows she carries them in her bag for everyone to see.

The teachers don’t seem to be doing anything and we know it is illegal for her to be buying them, so it doesn’t seem right to let it go on. What should I do?

Coleen says If the teachers didn’t find any cigarettes and no one has seen her smoking at school, then there’s probably not much the teachers can do if she’s denying it.

If she’s a friend of yours, then the way to approach it is not by lecturing her and telling her what to do, but just tell her you know she’s smoking and that you’re worried about what it’s doing to her body. Do it in a friendly way rather than saying you’re going to tell on her.

It sounds to me like she’s trying to be “cool” and grown up in front of her peers, but the thing is it’s not cool and if the rest of you can get that across to her, maybe she won’t be so keen.

And if she doesn’t listen to you and your friends, then just be proud that you don’t smoke.

Hopefully, it’s just a phase she’s going through.