Dierker, Rose Examine Teen Nicotine Dependence in Peer-Reviewed Journal

Lisa Dierker, chair and professor of psychology, Jennifer Rose, research associate professor, and postdoctoral fellows Weihai Zhan and Arielle Selya are authors of a new paper examining nicotine dependence in teen smokers.

The Natural Course of Nicotine Dependence Symptoms Among Adolescent Smokers,” was published Feb. 24 in the peer-reviewed journal, Nicotine Tobacco Research. Robin Mermelstein and Donald Hedeker of the University of Illinois at Chicago co-authored the paper.

The researchers followed novice adolescent smokers, as well as those who had never smoked before, for four years. They found that, before smoking 100 cigarettes, 20 percent reported “smoking to relieve restlessness and irritability,” and “smoking a lot more now to be satisfied compared to when first smoked,” both considered symptoms of nicotine dependence. This is the first study to describe the natural course of nicotine dependence specifically among adolescent smokers who had not yet reached the 100-cigarette milestone.

According to Dierker, “These findings add to a growing body of research showing that for some adolescents, nicotine dependence symptoms develop soon after smoking begins and at low levels of cigarette use. Because these early emerging symptoms represent a substantial risk for developing chronic smoking behavior, it is important that new adolescent smokers are not neglected in smoking prevention and cessation programs.”

Open all references in tabs: [1 - 5]

Leave a Reply