HHS HealthBeat (September 03, 2008)

Teens’ withdrawal

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Starting to smoke is a lot easier than stopping. And a study finds teens who smoke just six cigarettes a day or less can have withdrawal symptoms when they go without a cigarette for only 24 hours.

Mark Rubinstein of the University of California, San Francisco examined how quickly teens break down nicotine in their bodies. He compared that rate to their withdrawal symptoms.

Dr. Rubinstein says those who broke down nicotine faster had worse symptoms. And he says the study highlights teens’ risks if they start to smoke:

``The fact that we found withdrawal symptoms in such light smokers – kids who are smoking less than six cigarettes a day – to us is an indication that these early light smokers are already starting to become addicted.’’ (12 seconds)

The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 03 2008