Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

News

Tobacco company makes freedom of information request for university’s research

BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d5655 (Published 05 September 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d5655

Rapid Response:

Age 12-13 seems to be the magic age to get them hooked

As a community pharmacist, I often ask "how old were you when you
started smoking?" 12-13 years old is frequently the response I get from
people who are desperate to quit. Some studies have shown a 44% rate of
mental health issues among people still smoking and that depression can
become a problem after smoking cessation. Tobacco companies do not need
anyone's research to find their target market. Depressed teens. Healthy
lifestyle programs in schools might be the answer.

Competing interests: No competing interests

13 September 2011
Colleen S. Hicks
Pharmacist
relief/locum, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada