Season 3 Episode 66

Rudy: Smoking's not good for you. It makes your breath stink, it gets your lungs dirty, and then you die. Smoking also causes forest fires, which is why you never see animals smoke.
Vanessa: I think she gets the point, Rudy.
Rudy: None of MY friends smoke!

In this episode, Vanessa has a friend who insists on smoking in Vanessa's bedroom. Vanessa is shocked when Cliff is understanding when she has to explain it to him.

There were two things that were interesting to me…

• Vanessa’s friend was really dishonoring in her choice to smoke in Vanessa’s room. She knew that Vanessa could really get in trouble with her parents and did not seem to care.
• Since this episode first aired in 1987, attitudes have really changed about smoking. Vanessa’s friend wanted to smoke because it was “cool”…my kids don’t see smoking as cool. (Thank goodness!) Their attitude is more consistent with Rudy.

The other AM, Husband and the boys went out to breakfast at a small family restaurant in rural Wisconsin. The non-smoking section of the restaurant was in name only. Since there is no smoking allowed in any restaurants in Chicago, the boys are not used to inhaling second-hand smoke as they eat their pancakes. Son #2 came home and said, “Now, I know what it is like to smoke…Yuck!”