Lifestyle » Connect with Kids

Smoking Addiction and Teens

By Shaun O’Leary
July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 4:03 PM EDT

Surveys about kids and drugs have shown that parents are far more worried about illegal drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine, than they are about cigarettes. But a new study shows that the addictive power of tobacco may be worse than was previously thought. A new study from the University of Massachusetts finds that addiction to nicotine begins with just one cigarette. Dr. Frances Leslie, a Professor of Pharmacology, says "As soon as kids start to inhale, they start to show signs of dependence. And the more signs of dependence that they show early on, the more likely they are to become permanent smokers." What's more, though some people don't think of cigarettes as a real drug, experts say, nicotine alters brain function, just like any other drug. Dennis Achá, with the American Lung Association explains that "When you're smoking a cigarette it's no different from smoking crack - because you're smoking a drug. You're inhaling a drug that's getting directly into your bloodstream that's going all the way up to your brain and creating a change."
Unfortunately, lots of kids who start smoking won't be able to quit. Dr. Robert Margolis, an addiction counselor, says "Parents need to understand that this may not be a phase. This may not be something that they're gonna grow out of, it may be the beginning of a life long habit." However, there is good news too: studies show teen smokers are 40 percent more likely to quit if they get involved in anti-smoking programs.

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