It's better not to try

Scientists have established whether one cigarette can lead to tobacco addiction

Natalia Pelezneva, Naked Science

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London concluded that 69% of people who have tried smoking at least once subsequently switch to daily smoking for some time or forever. Scientists analyzed data from eight surveys involving 216,314 people. According to the authors of the work, this result indicates the importance of preventive measures to combat smoking.

The researchers studied surveys conducted in the United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand since 2000. The study involved adult English-speaking residents of these countries. Surveys were conducted using different methods: participants spoke to researchers in person or by phone, and also filled out questionnaires.

About 60% of respondents have tried smoking, 41% have ever smoked daily. The number of those who started smoking constantly varied in different surveys: it ranged from 50% to 82% of those who tried cigarettes. Further evaluation showed that, on average, 69% of people who have tried smoking become smokers. How many of them subsequently quit the bad habit, the researchers do not indicate.

Scientists have suggested that differences in the results of different surveys could appear due to the fact that smokers are less likely to participate in sociological research (for example, if a person's environment mostly condemns smoking). However, no such dependence was found. At the same time, the authors of the work admit that their assessment is approximate, since it is based on the personal testimonies of the respondents. Some of the participants in the work may have forgotten that they tried smoking in adolescence. Despite this, scientists believe that the percentage of smokers among those who have tried cigarettes is still very high.

The authors of the work note that in recent years the number of smokers among the youth of Western countries has been decreasing. According to scientists, this is the result of preventive measures – bans on the sale of tobacco to adolescents and restrictions on cigarette advertising.

The study is published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Earlier, researchers concluded that "light" cigarettes are more dangerous than conventional ones.

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