Youth smoking: two years between the first cigarette to regular smoking

Young smokers become "regular" smoking about two years after the first cigarette, reveals a French study presented at the 9th Congress of Pneumology of the French language, in Lille.

The team of researchers led by Charles Taieb, Pierre Fabre Laboratories, sought to better understand the evolution of the age at which the first cigarette was smoked in a population of adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 25 years.

From 772 questionnaires collected during briefings on health, this study included 335 smokers divided into two sub-groups under 18 / over 18 years. The findings of this survey and confirming the results of previously published studies, highlight the age of increasingly early the first cigarette and the fact that women "catch" men.

At the age of 18, the age of first cigarette was 12.1 years for males and 12.3 years for girls. For over 18 years, the age of first cigarette was 13.1 years for men and 13.6 years for women.

This study also highlights a gap of about two years elapsed between the first cigarette and when a young person becomes a regular smoker.

Smokers boys under 18 become regular smokers at 14.2 years and 14.4 years for girls. Smokers over 18 years have become regular smokers respectively 15.4 years for males and 16.2 years for girls.

"This time, undocumented, could be used appropriately to implement prevention programs, especially for 67% of those surveyed, health is a major reason to stop, the cost not being a good why 37% of them, "say the authors.

From the same questionnaires, another study was conducted on the use of cannabis by smoking status. It involved 344 smokers and 428 non-smokers with a mean age of 18.1 years.

The results confirm a significant increase in cannabis use among adolescents and young adults, with an early start in the year following the first tobacco cigarettes.

Repeated use or heavy cannabis is more common among men (42.3%) than women (24.4%). It is influenced by smoking status: 65% in tobacco smokers against 3.7% for non-smokers for men and 54% against 12% for women.

In this study, the use of seals in cannabis smokers (with regular or heavy use) was 22 per week for men and 13 for women.