ScaredBro asks “My brother and I share a car, the other day I found a pack of cigarettes in the glove box. I’m not sure if I should tell my parents and let them talk with him, or casually bring it up with him myself. This is a big deal with my family as there has been past health related issues brought on by smoking.”
Dear ScaredBro,
Can someone call an exterminator? We’ve got a rat up in here!
But seriously, smoking is dangerous, terrible, and an all-around bad choice. I don’t need to take this column to highlight the devastating effects of smoking but if you do a quick Google.com/search you’ll learn all about what D.A.R.E. should’ve taught you and your brother when you were 10.
You definitely need to talk to your brother first. The pack of cigarettes could just be a hilarious misunderstanding! Maybe he’s holding them from a friend who wants to quit, maybe a friend left them in the car by mistake, maybe they just fell from the sky into the glove compartment of your car – either way you don’t have enough information to give a full lecture yet.
If what you suspect is true, chances are your brother already knows how awful it is to smoke. A one-on-one conversation could at least clear the air and allow you the chance to reiterate how dangerous it is considering your family history. Try not to be too condescending or angry as that won’t help anyone! Quite frankly, I don’t see the reason to bring your parents into this. It’ll make him feel like he’s being tag-teamed and ambushed and won’t benefit anyone.
Maybe find some pamphlets on the dangers of smoking to slip into the glove compartment! Or replace the cigarettes with Popeye’s candy cigs! Send a message to your brother that you have concerns, and let him know that they are coming from a place of love and compassion.
Good luck!
Xoxo, Becky
