Smoking a single cigarette may have immediate effect on young adults

It is well known that smoking leads to a reduction in levels of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), which is a marker for airway inflammation.

However, there is limited knowledge about smoking-induced changes in the production and exchange of nitric oxide (NO) in young adults.

In a study of eight women and eight men with a mean age of 23 years and a smoking history of less than eight pack-years, Greek researchers found that after smoking a single cigarette, the airway tissue concentration of NO increased by 26%, and the FeNO levels decreased by 15.6%.

This reduction can lead to a limited flux of NO in the airways of young adults, significantly impairing health.

This research, presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), demonstrates the negative impact of smoking even one cigarette, especially in young people.

Challenges of Young Adults - Young adults are at high risk of “established smoking” – having smoked at least 100 cigarettes and on 20 of the last 30 days. - There is a high incidence of smoking in non-college bound young adults: smoking among non-college bound young adults is more than twice as prevalent than those attending college. - Studies indicate that kids who go straight from high school to work see fewer benefits in living a longer, healthier life that would be worth the sacrifice of not smoking. - Among those who do attend college, there is a high incidence of “social smoking” among students, in addition to other social influences. - Young adults express an interest in quitting, but often do not; many doubt they will ever quit. - Quitting support services are difficult for students to find according to surveys, and services that exist don’t address their specific needs. - There is prevalence among youth and young adults to use “natural” cigarettes or alternative tobacco products. - Often, young adults believe smoking is “not that bad” and engage in other rationalizations. - There is a perceived risk of weight gain associated with quitting among young adult women. - Movies and the media, largely consumed by the younger population segment, continue to glamorize smoking.

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Sue Roberts
sroberts@chestnet.org
847-498-8334
American College of Chest Physicians