Teens addicted after one smoke

[Guest guest]

Teens addicted after one smoke

Page 1 of 2 View as a single page 5:00AM Thursday February 21, 2008

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204 & objectid=10493659By Craig Borley

 

Photo / Kenny Rodger

 

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Smoking just one cigarette will leave one in four New Zealand children with symptoms of addiction, a ground-breaking research report has found.

And teenage girls are at greatest risk, according to the New Zealand-based survey of almost 100,000 14- and 15-year-olds.

Of respondents who smoked at least one cigarette, 50 per cent went on to become smokers. After smoking 10 cigarettes, more than 80 per cent of children became regular smokers.

After 100 cigarettes, 95 per cent went on to become regular smokers.

Tobacco cravings were reported by 46 per cent of those smoking less than one cigarette each month, while each subsequent cigarette meant a further slide towards addiction.

The study also identified that symptoms of tobacco addiction occurred earlier in girls than boys.

Christchurch cigarette researcher and public health specialist Dr Murray Laugesen, who with Auckland University's Professor Robert Scragg and American researchers Dr Robert J Wellman and Professor Joseph Difranza was responsible for the report, said teenage girls' increased danger of addiction was related to estrogen, the hormone responsible for sexual maturity in females.

 

 

 

Estrogen increased blood levels of nicotine, making the substance more addictive to females, he said.

"And that's not well known. It's a hormonal effect."

But the study's most startling discovery was new evidence of the danger even low levels of cigarette smoking posed to children.

"We knew cigarettes were addictive. But what is new is we have related the addiction to the number of cigarettes. And that hasn't been done before," Dr Laugesen said.

With tobacco smoking projected to cause almost 5000 early deaths annually for the next 30 years, banning tobacco displays would be a good first step in tackling the problem, he said.

That suggestion had been debated over the last year, with Waikato District Health Board - one of the country's biggest - last week calling for a complete ban on the displays.

In a submission to the Ministry of Health, WDHB chief executive Craig Climo said the displays undermined and contradicted health messages, endangered children and young people visiting the retail outlets, and discouraged smokers' quit attempts.

The Ministry was also last week presented with a submission from a coalition representing more than 170 convenience stores and tobacconists, requesting the Government drop proposals to ban the displays.

In its submission, the Stay Displays Coalition of Retailers rejected claims tobacco displays made people take up smoking.

 

Dr Laugesen admitted the issue was a "hot topic" but said it was "near the goal line already, and this may give it a final push".

A specific warning to youth on cigarette packets could also help lower the uptake rate, he said.

However, children would always be able to find tobacco as long as it was being sold in shops, he said.

"All smoking households are cigarette distribution centres as far as young people are concerned. So are older brothers and sisters, school buses, schools.

"Parents cannot protect their children from smoking. There is a case to consider the elimination of all sales over the next 10 years."

WHAT THE STUDY SHOWS

* 38 per cent of New Zealand 14- 15-year-old smokers smoke daily.

* Signs of addiction are present in 25 per cent of young smokers after the first cigarette.

* Each subsequent cigarette decreases ability of smoker to quit.

* Even irregular tobacco use is linked to addiction.

* Addiction symptoms appear earlier in girls, than boys.

WHAT THE STUDY DID

* Interviewed almost 100,000 New Zealand smokers, aged 14 and 15, from 350 high schools, between 2002 and 2004.

* Collected data on demographics, tobacco use and addiction indicators.

* Compared amount of tobacco use, with symptoms of addiction.

 

[Guest guest]

At 05:37 PM 2/26/2008, you wrote:

You know, these kinds of studies are wasting someone's money. Let's look

at this for a second - first, it said " after smoking at least one

cigarette, 50 per cent went on to become smokers. After smoking 10

cigarettes, more than 80 per cent of children became regular

smokers. " While the title implied addiction after one

cigarette, this isn't what they actually said. They just said, 50% of

kids smoked more cigarettes after having one. This could've (probably

was) due to the fact that the people they chose to be around, smoked. I

have never met anyone, adult or child, who actually liked the taste of

cigarettes the first go around. They might've liked the " high "

feeling they got, but not the actual smoking. And, an addiction to the

tobacco and nicotine? After one cigarette? And, they clearly don't have

it if they only smoke 10 cigarettes a month. The only thing I've heard of

that one can truly get addicted to after one shot is crack. This kind of

journalism reminds me of the 1936 classic movie " Reefer

Madness, " where otherwise good kids go crazy, and there is

manslaughter, rape and murder under the influence of the " devil

marihuana. "

So, while the point may be good, that smoking is bad for you and is

addictive once begun, the way this article approaches it is as silly as

Reefer Madness, which was trying to get the message across that smoking

marihuana could lead to bad things.

Lynn

 

Teens addicted

after one smoke

 

Page 1 of 2

 

View as a single page 5:00AM Thursday February 21,

2008

 

 

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204 & objectid=10493659

 

By Craig Borley

 

Photo / Kenny Rodger

Your Views

 

What is the best way to quit

smoking?

 

 

 

Send us Your Views

 

Read Your Views

Smoking just one cigarette will leave one in four New Zealand children

with symptoms of addiction, a ground-breaking research report has

found.

And teenage girls are at greatest risk, according to the New

Zealand-based survey of almost 100,000 14- and 15-year-olds.

 

Of respondents who smoked at least one cigarette, 50 per cent went on to

become smokers. After smoking 10 cigarettes, more than 80 per cent of

children became regular smokers.

After 100 cigarettes, 95 per cent went on to become regular

smokers.

Tobacco cravings were reported by 46 per cent of those smoking less than

one cigarette each month, while each subsequent cigarette meant a further

slide towards addiction.

The study also identified that symptoms of tobacco addiction occurred

earlier in girls than boys.

Christchurch cigarette researcher and public health specialist Dr Murray

Laugesen, who with Auckland University's Professor Robert Scragg and

American researchers Dr Robert J Wellman and Professor Joseph Difranza

was responsible for the report, said teenage girls' increased danger of

addiction was related to estrogen, the hormone responsible for sexual

maturity in females.

 

 

 

Estrogen increased blood levels of nicotine, making the substance more

addictive to females, he said.

" And that's not well known. It's a hormonal effect. "

But the study's most startling discovery was new evidence of the danger

even low levels of cigarette smoking posed to children.

" We knew cigarettes were addictive. But what is new is we have

related the addiction to the number of cigarettes. And that hasn't been

done before, " Dr Laugesen said.

With tobacco smoking projected to cause almost 5000 early deaths annually

for the next 30 years, banning tobacco displays would be a good first

step in tackling the problem, he said.

That suggestion had been debated over the last year, with Waikato

District Health Board - one of the country's biggest - last week calling

for a complete ban on the displays.

In a submission to the Ministry of Health, WDHB chief executive Craig

Climo said the displays undermined and contradicted health messages,

endangered children and young people visiting the retail outlets, and

discouraged smokers' quit attempts.

The Ministry was also last week presented with a submission from a

coalition representing more than 170 convenience stores and tobacconists,

requesting the Government drop proposals to ban the displays.

In its submission, the Stay Displays Coalition of Retailers rejected

claims tobacco displays made people take up smoking.

Dr Laugesen admitted the issue was a " hot topic " but said it

was " near the goal line already, and this may give it a final

push " .

A specific warning to youth on cigarette packets could also help lower

the uptake rate, he said.

However, children would always be able to find tobacco as long as it was

being sold in shops, he said.

" All smoking households are cigarette distribution centres as far as

young people are concerned. So are older brothers and sisters, school

buses, schools.

" Parents cannot protect their children from smoking. There is a case

to consider the elimination of all sales over the next 10

years. "

WHAT THE STUDY SHOWS

 

* 38 per cent of New Zealand 14- 15-year-old smokers smoke

daily.

* Signs of addiction are present in 25 per cent of young smokers after

the first cigarette.

* Each subsequent cigarette decreases ability of smoker to quit.

* Even irregular tobacco use is linked to addiction.

* Addiction symptoms appear earlier in girls, than boys.

WHAT THE STUDY DID

 

* Interviewed almost 100,000 New Zealand smokers, aged 14 and 15, from

350 high schools, between 2002 and 2004.

* Collected data on demographics, tobacco use and addiction

indicators.

* Compared amount of tobacco use, with symptoms of addiction.