Washington: Here's a word of caution for those of you who think that trying to smoke just once cannot lead to a life long addiction.
The vulnerability to smoking after trying a single cigarette can lie dormant for three years indicating a 'sleeper effect' reveals a study of teenage smoking habits, published in Tobacco Control.
Teens who smoked just one cigarette at the age of 11 were twice as likely to take up smoking within the next few years as their peers who resisted the urge, the study shows. This was despite not having smoked in the intervening period.
The researchers base their findings on annual surveys of almost 6000 11 to 16 year olds attending 36 representative schools across South London, and measurements of salivary cotinine, a biochemical indicator of nicotine intake.
By the age of 14, pupils who had given smoking a go just once at the age of 11 were twice as likely to have become regular smokers as their peers who had not tried out smoking.
The researchers say that their findings provide the first clear evidence of a 'sleeper effect' or period of 'dormant vulnerability,' for teenagers who experiment with smoking just the once.
Just one cigarette could change the reward pathway in the brain, which might then be activated by triggers, such as stress, depression, or the school environment, suggest the authors.
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