Rationale: Although adolescent smokers appear to display some of the hallma
rk features of dependence, the biological and behavioral effects of smoking
in this population are poorly understood. Objectives: This study aimed to
define empirically the effects of abstinence and smoking in adolescent smok
ers, using indices validated in adult smokers. Methods: Subjects were 16 yo
ung novice smokers (five male, 11 female), ages 14-18 years. A modified Str
oop task measured the ability to inhibit attention to smoking-related cues;
the classic Stroop task measured the ability to inhibit a pre-potent respo
nse (i.e. reading a word); a rapid information processing (RIP) task measur
ed vigilance. Results: Abstinence increased and smoking decreased the intru
siveness of smoking cues. Parallel effects were seen in commission errors o
n the RIP task. These effects were restricted to heavier smokers (>11 cigar
ettes/day). Subjective withdrawal effects predicted the intrusiveness of sm
oking words during abstinence. The number of cigarettes smoked per day pred
icted the beneficial effect of smoking on the classic as well as modified S
troop tasks. The physiological effects of abstinence and smoking predicted
RIP performance. Conclusions: Abstinence impairs and smoking improves inhib
itory information processing in young novice smokers in a manner similar to
adult smokers. Daily frequency of smoking is a critical moderator of these
effects.