PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSATIONS OF INITIAL SMOKING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REGULAR SMOKING-BEHAVIOR

This study examined the relationships between adolescents' physiologic al sensations of smoking during initiation and early experience. For a national sample of a birth cohort of 2,043 adolescents, ages 15 to 22 years at the follow-up, variables of interest included measures of sm oking behavior and physiological sensations reported from the initial smoking experience. Analysis showed that adolescents experimenting wit h smoking were more likely to become regular smokers over three years if they indicated that they felt relaxed, felt dizzy, did not feel sic k, and did not cough during the initial smoking experience. Antismokin g interventions may impede the transition to regular smoking by helpin g adolescents interpret the physiological sensations as negative and u nhealthy.