11 | 11 | 2007 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Pleasurable First Exposure to Nicotine Predicts Addiction: New Study

Young smokers who feel relaxed after their first cigarette are most likely to become addicted, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  Their research findings, published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, indicate that nicotine addiction may be more attributable to brain chemistry than has been previously understood.

The study, conducted over four years, consisted of more than 12,000 interviews of 1,000 sixth grade students in six Massachusetts communities.  Risk factors such as smoking by parents, attitudes about smoking, community involvement and physical reactions to inhaling a cigarette for the first time were assessed by researchers.  Throughout the study period, 217 students experimented with smoking for the first time.  Of those 217, one-third reported feeling relaxed by their first experience.  Of that third, two-thirds eventually became completely addicted.  In a final assessment of risk factors, an initial feeling of relaxation was the single strongest indicator that a person would become a habitual smoker. 

Researchers believe that by suppressing certain pathways in the brain responsible for cravings, nicotine produces a relaxing sensation in smokers with certain brain chemistries.  The craving these smokers experience, they believe, is more precisely a desire to repeat a neurologically-pleasant, drug-induced experience.  The study suggests that an addictive brain chemistry is more responsible than an addictive personality in developing an addiction to smoking. 

Study authors also noted that extracurricular activities appeared to protect against the development of a smoking addiction. 

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