Smoke casts fast spell

People can become addicted within days of starting to smoke, according to research that casts doubt on the belief that the strength of addiction relates to the number of cigarettes smoked.

In a study of more than 700 children aged 12 and 13, those who had an occasional cigarette showed signs of nicotine addiction.

But some of those who smoked up to five a day showed no symptoms of addiction.

The research by the University of Massachusetts, published in the medical journal Tobacco Control, put smokers into three categories: "love at first sight" smokers, gradual addicts, and "chippers" - people who could smoke up to five cigarettes a day over years with no evidence of addiction.

Of the 95 youth who admitted smoking occasionally, monthly or daily, two-thirds reported nicotine dependence, such as cravings and difficulties quitting.

- INDEPENDENT