1st cigarette can be addictive

"(Kids) don't have a pack-a-day habit like adults, but they still become hooked very quickly," says Dr Jennifer O'Loughlin, a lead researcher at McGill University in Montreal, USA. She and her colleagues found that some teens had experienced addiction-like cravings, even if they had tried smoking only once or twice, reports Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper.

Teen girls are far more likely to become hooked than boys, the study finds, though the researchers say it's unclear why.

The study, which began four years ago, is following the smoking habits of 1 267 students from 10 Montreal-area high schools. Results of the latest findings are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. – (HealthDayNews)

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