9. Think beyond cigarettes

Smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes (kreteks) and candy-flavored cigarettes (bidis) are sometimes mistaken as less harmful or addictive than are traditional cigarettes. Teens also often think that water pipe (hookah) smoking is safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kreteks, bidis and hookahs all carry health risks. Don't let your teen be fooled.

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices designed to look like regular tobacco cigarettes. In an electronic cigarette, an atomizer heats a liquid containing nicotine, turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled and creating a vapor cloud that resembles cigarette smoke. Manufacturers claim that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes but there are safety concerns about potentially harmful chemicals being inhaled during use. Electronic cigarettes can get teens hooked on nicotine, too.

Research also suggests that teens who have used electronic cigarettes are more likely to try other forms of smoking within the following year than are those who have never used electronic cigarettes.