“For a long time, we have known that the progression from experiencing a first cigarette to becoming a smoker can take several years,” said Jennifer Fidler from University College London.

“However, for the first time, we have found evidence that there is a period in which a so-called ‘addiction-triggering effect’ or ‘vulnerability to nicotine dependence’ occurs. This period can last for several years from the time a person smokes their first cigarette until they eventually become a heavy smoker,” she explained.

Fidler and her fellow researchers analyzed the impact of smoking a first cigarette on more than two thousand children aged between 11 and 16 over a five-year period. Of the 260 children who experienced their first cigarette at the age of 11, 18% had become heavy smokers by the time they reached the age of 14. In contrast, only 7% of children in the same age group who had never smoked at all became heavy smokers three years later.

“The study results show that the first smoking experience is a major determining factor in whether a person will become a heavy smoker in the future,” said Fidler, who reported her findings in the journal Tobacco Control, published over the weekend.

Scientists have not yet fully determined why a single first cigarette can have such a significant impact. However, they suggest that nicotine can alter brain structure and function, making children more vulnerable to stress or depression. Nicotine may also increase the likelihood of repeating the smoking experience.

The first cigarette also removes the fear or anxiety of being caught smoking by parents or teachers—fears that could otherwise prevent children from developing this harmful habit later in life.

Jean King from a cancer research organization in the United Kingdom stated that the findings of Fidler and her colleagues have very important implications and are highly valuable for anti-smoking campaigns.

“Any research that helps reveal the processes by which adolescents become smokers is a key factor in developing and targeting effective strategies to prevent young people from wanting to experiment with smoking for the first time.”

Source: bnn.go.id