Nicotine addiction among adolescents - Introduction

Adolescent smoking has increasingly become a topic of interest and research in the addiction field. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that most adolescents try smoking, over one-third become daily smokers, and nearly one quarter become addicted to cigarettes. While significant recent gains have been made in understanding and treating nicotine addiction among adults, similar gains have not been made in understanding and treating nicotine addiction among adolescents. Much work remains to be done concerning the developmental appropriateness and usefulness of conceptualizations, methods, and strategies initially developed fur adult smoking.