People who start smoking before age 18 are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and phlegm, in their 20s.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Increased Respiratory Risk for Early Smokers: Individuals who begin smoking before age 18 have an 80% higher risk of developing respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and phlegm, by the age of 28 compared to non-smokers.
- Smoking Intensity Affects Lung Health: The study found that the more cigarettes smoked, the higher the risk of respiratory symptoms, with each “packyear” increasing the risk by 10%.
- Youth Lung Vulnerability: Researchers note that starting smoking at a young age likely increases the risk of respiratory symptoms because the lungs are still developing, making them more susceptible to tobacco smoke damage.
People who started smoking under the age of 18 are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and phlegm, in their 20s, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria.
The study also found that the majority of young smokers had taken up the habit before they turned 18 and that the more cigarettes they smoked overall, the higher the risk of respiratory symptoms.
Researchers say the study highlights the risks to children and teenagers from smoking and shows how rapidly the effects of tobacco can be seen. The research was presented by Dr Linnea Hedman, associate professor of epidemiology and public health at Umeå University, Sweden.
Study Methodology
Researchers recruited 3,430 8-year-old children in northern Sweden and asked them to fill in questionnaires annually until they turned 19 and again when they reached the age of 28.
Overall, 22% said they were daily smokers at some point during the study. Of those who said they smoked, 29% started smoking when they were 15 or under, 35% started smoking when they were 16 or 17, and 35% started at 18 or older.
The researchers took into account other factors that can affect lung health, such as a family history of asthma or growing up in a home where others smoke. They found that smoking more cigarettes overall increased the risk of respiratory symptoms by the age of 28, with one ‘packyear’ increasing the risk by around 10% compared to non-smokers. A packyear is the equivalent of smoking one pack of 20 cigarettes per day for one year.
Early Smoking Increases Risk of Respiratory Symptoms
Starting smoking under the age of 18 increased the risk of respiratory symptoms by the age of 28 by around 80% compared to non-smokers. In people who took up smoking at 18 or later, the risk was around 50% higher than non-smokers.
The most common respiratory symptoms were wheezing, phlegm, and coughing.
“In our study, we found that smokers are very likely to have taken up the habit before they turned 18, and those who did start early were more likely to be suffering with breathing problems, especially wheezing and phlegm,” says Hedman in a release. “These symptoms were also more common the more cigarettes people smoked.
“One explanation for our findings could be that children and teenagers who started smoking earlier continue to smoke for a longer time and therefore suffer with more symptoms. It could be that exposure to tobacco smoke at a young age increases the risk of respiratory symptoms because the lungs are still developing and more vulnerable to damage. This study shows that it does not necessarily take decades to develop respiratory symptoms from smoking; we can already see a significant association in young adulthood.”
Long-term Monitoring
Hedman and her colleagues will continue to monitor the people taking part in the study. They are now measuring the participants’ lung function to understand how exposure to tobacco smoke influences their respiratory health in the longer term.
“Across Europe and the rest of the world, there are still a significant number of children and teenagers smoking cigarettes. We need regulations and support to help children and young people avoid or quit smoking,” says professor Des Cox, a member of the ERS Tobacco Control Committee and consultant in pediatric respiratory medicine at Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland, who was not involved in the research. “At the same time, we’re starting to see more and more children and teenagers vaping. It’s too early to know exactly what this is doing to their lungs. What we do know is that nicotine is highly addictive and the earlier you start, the longer you continue to use nicotine products.
“We want children and adults to breathe clean air. That’s why the European Respiratory Society warns that all nicotine and tobacco products, including vapes and cigarettes, are highly addictive and harmful. We want the next generation to have a tobacco- and nicotine-free childhood.”
ID 319017315 | Sad © Cao Yan | Dreamstime.com
