The heart of the righteous one meditates so as to answer.—Prov. 15:28.

An important step in resisting peer pressure is preparation. Being prepared means thinking in advance about what situations are likely to arise. Sometimes a little forethought can help you to prevent a big confrontation. For example, suppose you see a group of your schoolmates up ahead and they are smoking. How likely is it that they will offer you a cigarette? Anticipating a problem, what can you do? Proverbs 22:3 states: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself.” By taking a different route, you may be able to avoid the encounter altogether. That is not a matter of being fearful; it is the course of wisdom. If a schoolmate dares you to accept a cigarette from him, you could say, “No thanks” and then add, “I thought you were too smart to smoke!” Rather than your having to explain why you do not smoke, your peer is compelled to think about why he does. w10 11/15 2:11, 14

Related articles

• The Link Between Smoking and COPD
• When You Slip Up While Quitting Smoking
• Are Herbal and 'Natural' Cigarettes Safer?
• Teen Peer Pressure: Raising a Peer Pressure-Proof Child
• Second-hand smoke in apartments: When lifestyles collide
• E-Cigarettes: Positive Smoking Substitute or a New Problem Replacing the Old?
• Tar and Tobacco Cigarettes
• Everything You Need to Know About Brainwashing, Subliminal Messages, and Thought Control
• Save The Surroundings Smokers! Use Smokeless Electronic Cigarettes.
• Govt Launches Plain Cigarette Packet Debate