Gigi and Me

Gigi (apparently he's my 8 years old son) comes to me one day after a day of school with this question:

"Mum, can people spit fire like dragons when they turn 15 ?"

me: "No Gigi, people can't spit fire. Why do you ask ?"

gigi "Well, while i was coming out of school i saw this high schoolers spitting smoke, so i thought they were dragons"

me:"I see, well, Gigi you must know that those kids were smoking, when you smoke you spit smoke (DUH)"

gigi:"Mummy what is this smoking ? Can I smoke too ? I wanna look like a dragon!"

me:"Mhmm, tell me did this kids had little sticks in their hands or mouthes ?"

gigi:"Yes they did, what are those thingies ?

me:"Those are called cigarettes, it's what make people spit smoke. Those kids were inhaling the smoke that those cigarettes produced and then spitted it"

gigi:"Can i have one ?"

me:"Well, you must know that those cigarettes aren't good for your health, especially little boys like you. You see, cigarettes contain lots of things called chemicals that if burned make smoke, but when you inhale this smoke, your body starts feeling weird. Plus, people don't smoke because they want to look like dragons, but because they like the feeling of the smoke in their bodies"

gigi:"Why do they like it if it's not good for them ?"

me:"Well, at the beginning everything is nice isn't it ? For example, do you remember those candies you ate some months ago ? They were good at the beninning right ? You liked them ?"

gigi"Yes, i love those candies!!''

me:"Ahaha, yet when you ate too many of them you got toothache, what did that taught you ?"

gigi:"That there's a limit to everything and that sometimes too much it's dangerous"

me:"Exactly, same thing with smoke, at the beginning smoke is good, but people start liking it too much and at the end they can't stop smoking, and that's when it becomes dangerous"

gigi:"Why can't they stop if they know it will hurt them ?"

me:"Well, there is this little feeling that your brain gets when it likes something too much: it's called addiction, it's when no matter how hard you try, you can't stop having or doing something"

gigi:"But what if I try it just one time ? Would i still get a-addipted ?"

me:''Addicted, and no if you don't like it, but if you do, you may not be able to stop"