A mom has been left speechless after discovering her daughter’s latest creation, and the video of her shock find has received over 11.3 million views on TikTok.
“If you feel like you are failing as a parent, then watch this video,” says Sara Shepheard. She then holds up a clear zip-lock bag to the camera, revealing fake cigars made from colored, rolled, and taped paper. The outside of the packet has a handwritten note reading, “Mylah’s sucar’s, take one,” with a bubble in the corner showing they are fake.
“We don’t even smoke,” adds Shepheard, who is in total shock as she relays a conversation she had with her daughter. “You know that cigars [and] cigarettes cause cancer so it’s not that good.”
Mylah said she knows about the risks but added that her homemade cigars are different to any other on the market as they have a positive message inside. The mom, known by her handle @sarashepinyastep, said that Mylah suggested she pretend to smoke one before disassembling it to read the message.
Shepheard then peels off the tape and reads: “You are really pretty,” before ending the clip with nothing more to say on the matter.
The video captioned, “Just when you think you’ve got this parent thing down, your kid hands you a pack of home-made cigars and tells you to stay positive,” has more than 1.6 million likes so far.
Cigarette smoking remains a leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for over 480,000 deaths annually. In 2021, 11.5 percent of U.S. adults (28.3 million) were current smokers, a decline from 20.9 percent in 2005. Smoking prevalence varies by demographics, with higher rates among men, certain age groups, and those with lower education and income levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cigar smoking is less common, and 3.5 percent of all adults smoked one in 2021.
Smoking rates vary by age group, being highest among those aged 25 to 44 years (nearly 13 in 100) and 45 to 64 years (nearly 15 in 100). It is lowest among people aged 18 to 24 years (about 5 in 100) and those 65 years and older (about 8 in 100).
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In this instance, the schoolgirl created the cigars purely for entertainment, and TikTok users think she might be onto something.
One comment read: “An entrepreneur, an artist, an, empath. We love her.” Another wrote: “She’s actually a marketing genius!!!”
“Where do I purchase?” asked a third comment.
“It’s a breathing exercise and an affirmation tool all in one. She invented the best coping tool ever,” posted a fourth user.
Newsweek reached out to @sarashepinyastep for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
