A recent study involving 15,000 cigarette smokers between the ages of 15 to about 22 link reasons for smoking in teen years to childhood abuse or physical violence.
It's considered normal for adolescents to experiment with smoking or drinking, but if young people are experimenting and have had a lot of stress in their lives, they may need help.
"Traumatic experiences in adolescence bubble up in all kinds of ways, often self-destructive and health-jeopardizing," said Michael Resnick, director of Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
More than 80 percent of smokers start before age 18 and about 20 percent of adults smoke as a result of picking up a casual "light, social smoking" habit in college that transforms into a full blown addiction later.
The study's results suggest that doctors need to pay more attention to teenagers and young adults who have had such traumas to prevent all kinds of addictions, such as drinking, drug abuse, and gambling.
Full Article: Trauma during youth increases excessive smoking risk
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