Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Masking smoke odors
• Method 2 of 3: Hide your tracks
• Method 3 of 3: Tell your parents
• Tips
• Warnings

If you've started smoking cigarettes, marijuana, or vaping, you may be concerned about problems with your parents. The best thing to do is to confide in your parents what's going on before they inevitably catch you. Try not to fear the punishment you might receive or the way they will react if they find out. While you can try a few techniques to minimize your smoky odor and hide the evidence of your secret habit, try to avoid the problem in an adult way and ask for help quitting. Remember to start smoking until you reach legal smoking age and only use legal means, otherwise you could run into deep trouble with the law.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Masking smoke odors

1. Cover your hair while smoking. Smoke scents cling to the hair, so try to protect your hair as much as possible if you can't shower before seeing your parents. If you have long hair, put it in a bun to keep it out of the way. Cover your head with a hat or hood and pull it closed to prevent smoke from entering. Then change to a different hat or hoodie before you get home.
   • Consider wearing a shower cap when you smoke to really prevent your hair from getting smoky.
2. Keep a set of clothes aside for smoking. If you show up at home with clothes that stink of smoke, your parents will notice. Keep a separate outfit handy if you want to smoke. Consider bringing a hoodie or sweater and another set with you when you go out to smoke. Put on these clothes while you smoke and keep your regular outfit far away from where you smoke. When you're done, put your smelly clothes in a separate bag and switch your regular outfit back on.
   • If your normal clothes have smoke trails, air them out or spray them with a deodorizing spray before you see your parents.
   • Be strategic about this. If you start wearing one outfit and come home with something completely different, your parents know something is up.
3. Exhale smoke through a cleft. Keep empty cardboard paper towels and toilet paper tubes. Then fill them with crumpled drying plates to create a gap. Or, secure a few fabric softener cloths to the end of the tube with a rubber band. Exhale the smoke through the tube if you smoke. The dryer plates filter some of the smoke.
   • Remember, your parents may know about sploofs as much as you do, and they can become suspicious if you start collecting toilet paper tubes or tumble dryers.
4. Air out your car if you smoke in it. Make sure you don't smoke with the same care that your parents use. If you smoke in your own car, open your windows and keep your cigarette out of the window. Turn up the heating or air conditioning, depending on the weather, and point the vents toward the nearest window to push the smoke out. Make sure to exhale the smoke vigorously from the open window. When you're done, turn the windows down more and let the air in. Cruise around the vehicle for a while to air yourself and other passengers.
   • Don't leave your windows open when you park at home as your parents can get suspicious.
   • Make sure you drive safely and responsibly, even if you smoke. Also keep in mind that it may be illegal to smoke in a car with passengers who are still underage.
   • Don't throw your cigarette out the window and litter in the street.
5. Wash your hands to get rid of the smell after smoking. Suspicious parents may ask to smell your fingers, so make sure to wash off as much of the scent as possible. Wherever you are, go to a sink to scrub your hands with warm water and scented hand soap. Splash your face, mouth, and nose even if you can't stop for a shower.
   • If you're on the road, you can stop at a gas station bathroom or other public toilet on your way home.
   • Use cigarette holders or wrap your cigarette in a folded piece of paper towel to reduce the contact your hand makes with the cigarette.
6. Freshen your breath with toothpaste, mouthwash, gums or mints. Brush your teeth with toothpaste as soon as possible to refresh your teeth and tongue. When you're on the go, chew on a piece of minty sugarless gum or eat a mint breath to reduce the signs of smoke.
   • Eating peppermint candies can also help, but do this in moderation to avoid cavities.
   • Bring a portable toothbrush and mini toothpaste so you can brush your teeth at any sink while you are away.
   • Remember that even if you take good care of your teeth, smoking still causes irreversible damage to your oral health.
7. Shower after smoking to wash off the odor. Smoke odors can linger on your clothes, hair, and skin for hours, and it's nearly impossible to smoke without getting smelly. If you can, take a post-smoking shower as soon as possible before you get home to wash off the odors. Lather your hair with shampoo and use a scented wax to remove all smoke particles and odors. Also, don't forget to put on clean clothes so that you smell completely fresh and smoke-free.
   • After you smoke, try to hit the gym and shower in the locker room before going home.
   • If possible, go home before your parents do and take a quick shower to hide your odors.
   • If you shower at a strange time of day, or show up from a friend's house with wet hair and a different outfit, your parents are likely to get suspicious.
8. Spray yourself with a scent to distract from the lingering smoke. Choose scents with musky, woody aromas that complement the smoky scents rather than sweet and floral scents. Also, opt for scents with bright notes, such as citrus or peppermint, to draw the attention of the smoke scents. Spray a small amount on your collarbone or chest and inner wrists, but don't use too much.
   • If you spray too much, your parents will become suspicious that you are trying to hide something.
   • Consider peeling and eating an orange after you smoke. Oranges give off a strong citrus scent that lingers on your hands and breath.
9. Light incense or use a deodorizing spray to freshen up your room. Even if only a few of your belongings smell faintly of smoke, your parents will notice the telling scent when they enter your room. Make it a habit to burn incense or scented candles when you are at home in your room. Frankincense not only gives off a strong aroma, but it also gives off a smoky, burning scent. Alternatively, spray your room with a deodorizing product to minimize smoke odors.
   • Never leave candles or incense burning unsupervised as they can quickly start fires.
   • Do not spray deodorant while lighting candles or incense, as the sprays are highly flammable.

Method 2 of 3: Hide your tracks

1. Hide all your smoking items in secret places. Find some good hiding places in your room, in your car, or where you want to keep your things. Look for places your parents don't regularly shop around, but don't consider them an obvious hiding place. For example, don't put your lighters and cigarettes in the glove compartment, which is an "obvious" hiding place, but tuck them under the seat of your car.
   • If you want to hide your smoking gear in your room, consider keeping it in a hollowed-out book or toward the back of your closet.
   • Put your cigarettes and lighters in the small, hidden pockets in the lining of your jacket or jacket for shelter on the go.
   • Don't hide your cigarettes in your sock drawer when your parents are putting away your laundry. Instead, look for drawers that are rarely used or hard to reach.
2. Do not smoke in or around your house. If you light up your room or any other seemingly secret place in or around your parent's house, you will almost certainly get caught because of the awful smell. If you want to hide the fact that you smoke, only smoke when out and about with friends. Choose private or public areas where smoking is allowed, but where you don't meet family friends, teachers, or neighbors.
   • Do not smoke in empty buildings; breaching these properties is illegal and dangerous.
   • Avoid smoking around your school; teachers or administrators can warn your parents about what you are doing.
   • Never smoke in bed; it is extremely dangerous. It's easy to fall asleep and drop your cigarette, causing a house fire.
3. Only use your own money to buy smoking supplies. If you have a job and your own income and bank account, your parents may not notice how you spend your money. However, if you spend your allowance or ask your parents for more money without telling the truth where it's going, they will become suspicious. Avoid overspending in a short period of time, and don't give a hint that you're out of money when your parents know you just got your salary or benefits.
   • Be careful about borrowing money from other children to buy your smoking supplies. If you don't have a reliable source of income and end up in debt with someone else, things can get tough pretty quickly.

Method 3 of 3: Tell your parents

1. Be honest and apologize if your parents catch you smoking. Don't blame the lingering odor on your smoking friend or a smoky place you've visited. Don't lie by saying that you just started if you have smoked regularly in the past 6 months. Lying can only make your situation and possible punishment worse. Once you get caught, be honest and admit it. Apologies for trying to cheat on your parents and for breaking specific household rules.
   • Be honest with your response: "Yes, you are right, I have been smoking for a while now. I just thought it would be cool to try it, but I never thought it would get so out of hand that I would lie to you about it. I'm sorry, Dad. "
   • Some ex-smokers are extremely sensitive to the smell of cigarettes. If your parents smoke, they may notice this even more quickly.
   • Even if your parents are non-smokers, they will eventually find out. Non-smokers have healthier, more sensitive noses, so even if you can't smell any traces of smoke, they probably can.
2. Consider telling your parents about your smoking habit before they catch you. Whether your parents notice the smell of your breath or they get a message from a neighbor you see smoking in public, they will eventually discover your secret. Confessing that you smoke before this happens can help you avoid getting into big trouble or straining your relationship with your parents.
   • Your parents may be furious, but they also appreciate and respect that you've come to them to talk about something as personal as a habit you're trying to keep a secret.
   • Trying to hide your smoking habit by lying and taking other extreme measures shows that you are actually engaging in unhealthy behavior. Given this, and the significant health risks associated with smoking, your parents are right to be concerned.
   • Don't be surprised if your parents want to jump in and give you support in quitting. If you're not ready to get help quitting, it's okay to say so, but don't try to push them away.
3. Accept any punishment you receive in a mature way. If and when your parents impose a punishment, take a deep breath to calm your emotions and accept whatever punishment they give you. Don't try to argue, lie, or negotiate to get out or act aggressively out of frustration. Try to stay ahead of the penalty if possible. During your apology, propose a punishment for yourself to show your maturity, while suggesting a less severe punishment than anything they can think of.
   • Offer something like this: "Because of what I've done, I think it would be reasonable if you didn't lend me the car for a while as punishment."
   • While it may be difficult to see right away, your parents are probably punishing you for caring about your health and wellness. The sooner you quit smoking, the better you will be in the long run.

Tips

• Quit smoking so you don't have anything to hide. Smoking can destroy your physical health as well as your mental health, and lying can cause many problems in your relationships. Tell a trusted friend or mentor you want help quitting, or consider relying on your parents for support.
• Does not leave a mess. Properly dispose of cigarette butts and other smoke waste.

Warnings

• You may think smoking is cool or fun, but it's actually a life-threatening issue. Smoking causes mouth, throat and lung cancer, along with a host of other health problems, and is responsible for killing 1 in 5 people in the US.
• It is illegal to smoke below the legal age limit in your area. Also avoid smoking prohibited substances. Both acts are punishable by law.
• Do not smoke during pregnancy.