From: Joel Sent: 9/16/2003 6:20 AM

A few puffs enough to addict teens to smoking, new Canadian Cancer Society research suggests


MONTREAL, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - Smoking just one or two cigarettes may be all it takes for some adolescents to become addicted to nicotine, says a new study funded by the Canadian Cancer Society. This research, the first of its kind in Canada, is published in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

"This is a huge warning to kids and parents about the real danger of putting that first cigarette into your mouth," says Canadian Cancer Society researcher Dr. Jennifer O'Loughlin.

In a study involving more than 1,200 Montreal high school students, O'Loughlin and her research team found that even teens who smoked only once or twice reported symptoms of nicotine dependence. Up to one-third report some of the more common symptoms of nicotine dependence including "difficulty not smoking when friends smoke" and "feeling a real need to smoke."

The study also found that girls consistently reported more symptoms of addiction than boys, even though they smoked a similar amount of cigarettes. Furthermore, nicotine dependence may be a stronger factor in why teens start smoking than the fact that their friends and family members smoke.

"This is important news because it challenges the current idea that it takes kids two to three years of daily smoking to develop nicotine dependence," says O'Loughlin, a researcher at McGill University and the Direction de la santé publique in Montreal-Centre.

O'Loughlin has been following the Montreal teens for four years. Her research team used questionnaires to measure their smoking patterns and nicotine dependence including withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

This work is the first part of a six-year study that will examine both genetic and environmental factors involved in nicotine dependence in kids.

O'Loughlin says more investigation is required during the remaining two years of her study, but she's confident her findings provide strong evidence of the major role nicotine dependence plays in the smoking onset process for adolescents.

"It's further proof that when it comes to kids, you can't start prevention education or cessation programs early enough."

Cheryl Moyer, Director of Cancer Control Programs for the Canadian Cancer Society, adds, "This research demonstrates why the stop-smoking message doesn't always get through to teens who have started smoking. Their physical addiction can be a stronger influence than peer pressure. This will be a great help in developing more effective smoking cessation programs for kids."

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Canada. In 2002, 22 per cent of teens aged 15-19 reported themselves as smokers. Sixteen percent were daily smokers while six per cent were occasional smokers. Slightly more teen girls reported smoking than boys - 23 per cent vs. 21 per cent.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society is the largest charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. Excellent research is funded through a rigorous national review process managed by its research partner, the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

The above news story has important implications. First it shows the importance of educating kids and their parents to the addictive nature nicotine. No parent should ever think of experimentation with cigarettes as a normal and harmless right of passage and no kid should knock around the idea that "just one" can't hurt. Also, it shows how important it is to make the message being taught more than a simple message of just saying no. We better be giving the next generation a real good reason to say no. What reason is better than if you experiment with nicotine that you are going to become addicted and that addiction will end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime, your health and eventually your life?

More relevant for our members though is this research is showing the addictive potential of nicotine. If just one cigarette has the potential of starting the addictive process in a child who had no previous first hand exposure to smoking, think about what it will do to a person who has years or decades of a past smoking history. Many of our members already know from first hand experience what "just one" puff did to what were previous long-term quits.

The message for kids who have never smoked and adults who have long smoking histories needs to be the same. To never get caught in the grip of an active nicotine addiction it is imperative that everyone understands that the only way to guarantee that a person can stay smoke free is for that person to never take another puff!