Stay Informed

Sign up for news & alerts

Already signed up?
Login here
What Can I Do?


Get Help
Need alcohol or drug help for yourself or someone else? GET HELP
Resources
Resources
Find useful publications, online documents & more.


DrugScreening.org


 

Researcher Warns of Early Addiction to Cigarettes
February 14, 2008

Email
Email
Print
Print
SubscribeSubscribe
News Summary

"Very soon after that first cigarette, adolescents can experience a loss of autonomy over tobacco," warns researcher Joseph R. DiFranza, discussing a study he conducted on youth smoking and nicotine addiction, the New York Times reported Feb. 12.

DiFranza, a family health and community medicine specialist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said that young smokers can get addicted to nicotine the first time they smoke, elaborating on research published in the December 2007 issue of The Journal of Family Practice.

The study found that up to 30 percent of youths suffered a loss of autonomy over smoking from the first time they puffed a cigarette. "We have long assumed that kids got addicted because they were smoking 5 or 10 cigarettes a day," said DiFranza. "Now we know that they risk addiction after trying a cigarette just once."

DiFranza said that teens and adults seem to develop "dependence-related tolerance" -- how long you can go between cigarettes before getting the urge to smoke again -- quite differently. "The typical adult smoker begins to crave the next cigarette in 45 minutes to an hour after smoking," he said. "But kids can be addicted and not need to smoke again for days, even weeks."

"The take-home message: It only takes a day for the brain to remodel itself in response to one dose of nicotine," according to DiFranza. "About one-quarter of young people experience a sensation of relaxation the first time they inhale from a cigarette, and this sensation predicts continued smoking."

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Your Turn! Post a public comment (read guidelines):

Name:

Comment:
(limit 200
words)

Enter this word
(help):
Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for everyone, please:

  1. Keep it clean, courteous, focused, and on-topic. Comments are meant for thoughtful discussion of the article published above.

  2. Do not post personal requests for help or general promotions for your organization (Get help).

  3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercially-motivated posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments not conforming to these guidelines. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.