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my problem is that my parents still smoke, and I have yet to figure out a way to bring up the issue of stopping... as I would rather see them stop then ignore the issue. Anyone have advice on how to tell my parents they should break the habit? [/B][/QUOTE]

hey...who knew that inhaling hot smoke would turn out to be bad for you?
hahaha.

anyway, it is hard to say, because people are motivated in different ways. but i am of the thinking that you would want to quit on your own terms rather than having a doctor tell you that you HAVE to quit or else. I'd say 'hay, you've enjoyed smoking for X number of years now. Nothing bad has happened yet....you've looked death in the eye & you've won. for now. now is the time to think in today's terms'

knowing what you know about smoking today....would you still start now? being addicted to an inanimate object is a *****.
but this is a lifestyle choice. you can't legislate a healthy lifestyle. that person has to want to change for him or herself. not because a spouse or a child wants them to. that is doomed to failure from the start.

you don't have to cold turkey it. if you smoke 2 packs/day that is 40 cig's. every week smoke one less cig. and in 40 weeks (a small time in the larger scheme of things) you are done. that will give the person enough time to adjust to the new lifestyle slowly instead of shocking the system (like calorie deprivation in drastic diets)
take away the cues. take away the creature comforts of smoking. take away the favorite lighter. change coffee mugs. sit at a different place at the table for breakfast, dinner, etc.

if you have ever seen an older person on a fixed income have to come up with the money for inhalers and nebulizers and oxygen tanks - and the look in their faces at the desparation and effort needed to inhale oxygen....

the lungs were only meant to take in oxygen and blow off carbon dioxide.
every time you inhale hot smoke, you aren't taking in oxygen. calculate the puffs then figure out how many inhalations aren't including oxygen.

monitarily, take any money saved and collect it. then offer to match it. the smoking cessation products cost the same as cartons of cig's. . .

or to illustrate: blow up a balloon and paint it. let the paint dry then see how elastic the balloon is.

or just say 'i don't want you to die'

or say if you want to be efficient about inhaling smoke, you can stand behind a city bus and inhale the fumes. why spend the whole day inhaling little bits of smoke. be efficient!!

time is a nasty equalizer. you aren't 20 anymore.