Hi everyone, This is only one study and as you know one study can never conclusively prove any hypothesis, however it's still very thought provoking. Knowledge is a great way to empower others, thanks for posting this Jackey. Danielle _____________________________ The SSC Support Team

I think maybe they used kids that already had thier first smoke. I doubt they gave out smokes to 11 year olds! At least I really hope not! Anyway, that is crazy. The power of cigs can be with you for that long, wow [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 10 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 208 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $45 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 46 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

As always, in my quest to stay sober from Nicotine, I use self-education. This Report from Reuters is just another example of the power of Nicotine... Peace Jackey LONDON (Reuters) - Trying just one cigarette may not be so harmless for non-smokers after all. Scientists have discovered that a single cigarette has a "sleeper effect" that can increase a person's vulnerability for three years or more to becoming a regular smoker. "We know that progression from experimenting with one cigarette to being a smoker can take several years," said Jennifer Fidler of University College London. "But for the first time we've shown that there may be a period of dormancy between trying cigarettes and becoming a regular smoker -- a 'sleeper effect' or vulnerability to nicotine addition," she added. Fidler and her team analyzed the impact of smoking a single cigarette on more than 2,000 children aged between 11 and 16 over five years. Of the 260 children who by age 11 had tried one cigarette, 18 percent were regular smokers by the time they reached 14. But only seven percent of 11-year-olds who had never smoked had taken up the habit three years later. "The results also indicate that prior experimentation is a strong predictor of taking up smoking later," said Fidler, who reported the findings in the journal Tobacco Control on Thursday. The scientists are not sure why a single cigarette has such an impact but they said the exposure to nicotine could change pathways in the brain which could make children more vulnerable to stress or depression, which can make them more likely to try it again. The first cigarette could also remove fears about getting caught or how to smoke, which would have prevented them from taking up the habit. Jean King, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said the findings have important implications for anti-smoking campaigns. "Any research that helps unravel the processes involved in young people becoming addicted to nicotine is key to developing effective and targeted ways to prevent them from starting smoking in the first place," she said. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/22/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 154 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,080 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $643.72 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B]

[quote] Fidler and her team analyzed the impact of smoking a single cigarette on more than 2,000 children aged between 11 and 16 over five years. [/quote] Why would they use children of this age for this kind of experiment? Now that is wrong. Cuddles It's better to be a non-smoker with an occasional desire for a cig than a smoker with a constant desire to quit...... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 33 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 665 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $118.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 6 [B]Seconds:[/B] 37

Cuddles, they may not have given the children the cigs. Instead they may have asked adult smokers when they had their first one. I don't remember exactly when, but my first may have been around that age. I've only read this post so I don't have any more info about this particular theory, but I doubt that one cig permenantly changed pathways in the brain that led to smoking years later. If pathways were altered it was probably due to the child living in a smoker's house. Multiple studies years ago established a link between children who grow up in smoking environments and their becoming addicted to tobacco later. Just my 2 cents. I do agree about the part of the first cig removing fears of smoking. When I was in my pre-teens the only problem I saw with smoking was my parents didn't want me to and therefore I had to be very careful to not get caught. That was the only danger of smoking. Good post, Jackey. Thanks. Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 367 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,348 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1394.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 68 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 49 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19