Dear Pastor,
I think you are doing a great work on both the radio and your column in THE STAR. My younger brother has picked up a bad habit. He is smoking ganja. I tried to talk to him but he refuses to stop. My mother knows that he is smoking and also talked to him, but he is still doing it. However, my father refuses to believe that he is smoking and this is causing him to still smoke.
Pastor, can you please give me your fatherly advice, because I am worried about his health and other effects ganja might have on this young 14-year-old boy. Thank you.
N.S., Clarendon, Jamaica
Dear N.S.,
The smoking of cigarettes and ganja is not a good habit and it is unfortunate that your brother has started to smoke 'weed'. Unfortunately, it is not going to be easy for him to stop because it is addictive.
There are a few things you can do to discourage your brother from smoking. You can tell him about the negative effects of smoking ganja such as bad breath, shortness of breath, yellowed fingers, smelly clothes and even decreased performance in sport.
Smoking of cigarettes is associated with many forms of cancer. It is also the main cause of lung and heart disease. Your brother is only 14 years old, so he needs to understand the earlier someone starts smoking, is the greater the risk to his health. If your brother continues to smoke, try and get him to see someone at the drug abuse centre.
Pastor
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