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The
Earlier You Light Up, the Harder to Quit
If you started smoking as a teenager, you may be particularly
vulnerable to long-term nicotine addiction.
An animal study by Duke University Medical Center researchers
found the age at which rats begin using nicotine can have
a major physiological impact to encourage later use of nicotine.
The researchers compared the amount of nicotine self-administered
by adolescent rats to the amount used by rats first exposed
to nicotine during adulthood. The study found the young
rats used nearly double the rate of nicotine compared to
the adult rats. The young rats' heavy nicotine use persisted
into adulthood.
The study appears in the September 2003 issue of Psychopharmacology.
"The results indicate that early nicotine exposure
can leave a lasting imprint on the brain," researcher
Edward Levin, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences,
says in a news release.
He notes that among smokers in the United States, 88 percent
smoked their first cigarette before the age of 18 and 60
percent took their first puff before age 14.
"The great majority of tobacco addiction begins during
adolescence, yet little is known about differential effects
of nicotine in adolescents versus adults," Levin says.
"The brain continues to develop through the teenage
years. Early nicotine use may cause the wiring of the brain
to proceed inappropriately. In essence, the brains of adolescents
who use tobacco may be sculpted around an addiction to nicotine,"
Levin adds.
Here's where you can learn more about nicotine
addiction.
Article Source: HealthDay
Article Author: N/A
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