What advice would you give teens who want to smoke?

It's really easier NOT to start, than to stop. Once you begin smoking, your body gets addicted to the nicotine, making it extra hard to quit. Smoking is a real drag, please be a strong individual and don't give in to all the false advertisement or peer pressure. It ain't worth it dude! BIIM

Does any of your family smoke?

Yes, unfortunately, we all have family members or friends who smoke. One of the reasons Boyz II Men are so involved in this campaign is that we hope to influence our loved ones to quit. Thanks for writing! BIIM

If you could say five words to everyone on the planet about smoking, what would they be?

Smoking cigarettes is addictive and will kill you! (That¡¯s eight, sorry!) BIIM

What do you think of secondhand smoking?

We think secondhand smoke is dangerous and causes a lot of sickness. Wanya got a throat infection in Japan from secondhand smoke, and we had to cancel portions of our tour. Most people don¡¯t realize that secondhand smoke causes cancer. BIIM

Do you think peer pressure is why most teens begin smoking?

We think that peer pressure is definitely an influence. However, did you know that the three most heavily advertised brands of cigarettes, Marlboro, Camel, and Newport, are the ones kids smoke the most? Makes you kind of wonder, doesn't it? Thanks for writing! BIIM

Do you know any singers who smoke?

Yes, we know several. But guess what, we know more singers who DON¡¯T smoke than do! Smoking can ruin your voice, not to mention your health. BIIM

What are some strategies you use to get people to stop smoking?

We never force our opinions on anyone, but we do make it known that our staff/band cannot smoke around us. We also participate in health campaigns, like the Centers for Disease Control's Teen Media contest, and we make posters and television commercials with smoke-free messages. Hope this answers all your questions. BIIM

Are your concerts smoke-free?

We try to perform in smoke-free venues, but not all of them are. Have you seen our commercial we air before our shows? It's a nice way of reminding the audience that smoking can affect our voices, and we hope it gives them a big hint! BIIM

My parents smoke. My mom has tried the patch and stopped for awhile, but started up again. My dad stopped just last week. Why can't she stop?

We think it's great that BOTH of your parents are trying to quit and recognize that smoking is harmful. Remember that the nicotine in cigarettes is VERY addicting, and some people have a more difficult time than others. Be patient and offer your mom lots of support (don't NAG her!). Now that your dad has quit, he can be a motivating partner as well. Good luck to your mom! BIIM

How would it look if you guys just smoked just once in a while?

Pretty stupid! First, tobacco is addictive...the nicotine is a drug. So, smoking just once in a while can be deadly and habitforming. We sing, and tobacco affects our  voices...plus, we don't want to have gross teeth and smell bad for all the special ladies in our lives! Thanks for writing. BIIM

What is your opinion on other celebrities smoking. Do you think they are setting terrible examples?

BIIM hopes that all smokers, regardless of whether or not they are celebrities, realize the harmful effects of smoking and quit. However, not everyone chooses to be smoke-free, and we don't condemn our friends, we try to help them. As for celebrities setting terrible examples, BIIM believe the best examples for kids are their parents; however, we are aware that young people look up to singers/actors/models/athletes and try to be like them. There are many celebrities who do provide positive role modeling, but like any group, there are always those who, because of their poor choices, give everyone a bad name. Thanks for writing! BIIM

My science teacher says smoking is only a psychological addiction. I say it's physical, too. Who is correct?

Thank you for writing to us! We had to check our sources at the CDC but you, and not your science teacher, are correct. (We'd like to be flies on the wall when you share this information!) Addiction to cigarettes is a biological addiction, not just a psychological one!. Basically, because nicotine has been scientifically proven to be addictive, and because nicotine exists in all tobacco products, then tobacco use or consumption can be physically addictive. We think you ought to get an extra credit point for this! BIIM

Have you been pressured to smoke/drink?

Sure, we were pressured to smoke and drink; however, the key is that we all have choices, and every choice we make has a consequence. We always wanted to sing, and we all have spiritual backgrounds. Our health, as well as knowing the difference between right and wrong guided us through those very tough teen years. Thanks for writing! BIIM

Have you ever chewed chewing tobacco?

No, none of us has ever used or tried chewing tobacco. It's really, really gross! BIIM

I don¡¯t smoke, but I want my friends to stop. How do I go about telling them their breath smells like an ash tray?

You may want to offer them gum or breathsavers. When your friends ask why, politely tell them that when you get near them, all you can smell is stale cigarette smoke from their breath, and that it doesn't smell very nice! Most importantly, is your encouragement to get them to stop smoking altogether. You need to be supportive, but don't nag. Usually nagging makes people angry and they tune you out. You can go to CDC's TIPS Web site for tips on quitting. BIIM

What made you decide to back this ¡®Smoke-Free¡¯ idea?

We decided to become role models for our fans by promoting a smoke-free lifestyle because BIIM believe that this is a healthy lifestyle choice. There are alot of people dying from tobacco-related illnesses, and there are a lot of underage kids smoking cigarettes. We hope we can prevent our fans from starting. We also sing in front of large crowds. Sometimes, the smoke from other people's cigarettes irritates our throats. We've even had to cancel some shows because we've gotten so sick from secondhand smoke. We wanted to make our feelings known to the public! BIIM

Do you think you will have a big impact on teens who smoke?

We're not sure BIIM can influence kids who have started to quit (although we hope so!) but there are alot of young people who really enjoy our music and look up to us. Even if we can prevent just one fan from ever starting to smoke, then we will feel proud because we believe we will have helped to save a life.

I was at your Houston concert and I saw your smoke-free message. I really liked it.:) But during the concert, this lady in front of me was both smoking and drinking--and she was pregnant! This REALLY bothered me. What do you think about pregnant teens smoking or people smoking around them?

Thank you for your comments about our PSA, and we're glad you liked it! We feel sad to see a pregnant woman smoking and drinking because we know she is hurting her unborn child AND herself. She probably is not educated about the harmful effects smoking and drinking can have on babies. We would hope she quits soon, not only for her health but for her little one as well. BIIM

What other things as teens do you think we can do to help prevent other teens from smoking?

Thank you for writing! Teens have more influence than they think...perhaps the first thing you can do is set a good example and be smoke-free. You don't have to be critical of your friends who do smoke, but talking to them privately (never in front of a group of people) about the dangers of smoking and why, as a friend, you would hope they stop because you care about their health is a first step. Additional activities can include volunteering for your local heart, lung, or cancer society or writing to your local representatives to encourage them to support smoke-free ordinances and laws that protect kids from secondhand smoke. Stay smoke-free and good luck! BIIM

Why do kids smoke when they know it is bad for them?

Kids smoke for many reasons, not just one. Peer pressure, stress, lack of positive role models, low self-esteem are among some of the reasons. Most kids today DO KNOW that smoking is bad, but they DON¡¯T know how addictive the nicotine is. Kids believe they can quit down the road, but by the time they are mature enough to realize the habit is nasty, expensive, and harmful, they are unfortunately already hooked. That¡¯s why Boyz II Men wants to get the word out so kids never start. BIIM