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Cigarette exposure can hook preteens on nicotine

Even non-smoking kids are susceptible, study shows

Non-smoking preteens who are exposed to secondhand smoke may exhibit symptoms of nicotine dependence, according to a new study from Concordia University and the University of Montreal. Tweens who often observe a parent, sibling, friend or neighbour smoking cigarettes are more likely to smoke as adolescents, because they don’t perceive the habit as unhealthy. This is one of the first studies showing that increased exposure to secondhand smoke leads youth who have never smoked previously to report symptoms of nicotine dependence, like craving cigarettes and finding it hard to go without them.

EurekAlert.org

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