Addiction Recovery Basics

NEW YORK, NY, October 23, 2007

The nicotine in tobacco products poses a significant danger of structural and chemical changes in developing brains that can make teens more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug addiction and to mental illness, according to Tobacco: The Smoking Gun, a new white paper released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and commissioned by The Citizens Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Smoking and Alcohol and Illegal Drug Use

 

Compared to 12- to 17-year olds who don't smoke, those who do are more than five times likelier to drink and 13 times likelier to use marijuana than nonsmokers.
Compared to those who never smoked, those who began smoking at age 12 or younger are:
More than three times likelier to binge drink;
Nearly 15 times likelier to smoke marijuana; and
Nearly seven times likelier to use other illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

Smoking and Mental Health Disorders 

The CASA analysis also found that among teens ages 12 to 17, twice as many smokers as nonsmokers suffered from symptoms of depression in the past year. Teens who reported early initiation of smoking were more likely to experience serious feelings of hopelessness, depression and worthlessness in the past year.

The report also notes that smoking at a young age is related to panic attacks, general anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We have long known that nicotine is extraordinarily addictive and that youth can become addicted extremely quickly," said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr.P.H., president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. "This new report underscores what we know about the developing brains of teens who are highly vulnerable to personal, social and media influences to begin smoking and why it is so vital to reach them with information about tobacco before they start to smoke. Because 80 percent of smokers begin before age 18, when their young brains and bodies are so susceptible to the effects of nicotine, it is imperative that we stop what for so many will result in lost years and lives to tobacco addiction, disease and death."

The public health case against tobacco for hiking the chances of damaging our childrens developing brains in ways that can increase their risk of alcohol and other drug abuse and mental illness is clear, noted Califano, who started the national anti-smoking campaign in 1978. The time has come to curb cigarette advertisements and promotions by the nicotine pushers and step up campaigns like the American Legacy Foundations effort to protect our nations children.
The Citizens Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Republican and Democrat from every Administration over the last forty years, was formed in March 2004 to prevent youth from smoking. Among its efforts, the Commission shines a spotlight on the continued need to fund truthÒ, the only independent national youth counter- marketing campaign with demonstrated results in keeping children and teens from smoking. For more information on the Commission, visit its Web site at http://www.protectthetruth.org.

CASA is the only national organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat all types of substance abuse as they affect all aspects of society. CASA has issued 66 reports and white papers, published one book, conducted demonstration projects focused on children, families and schools at 204 sites in 76 cities and counties in 30 states plus Washington, DC and two Native American tribal reservations, and has been evaluating the effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment in a variety of programs and drug courts. CASA is the creator of the nationwide initiative Family Day A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM — the fourth Monday in September the 22nd in 2008 that promotes parental engagement as a simple and effective way to reduce childrens risk of smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs. In May of 2007, CASA Chairman Joseph A. Califano, Jr. called for a fundamental shift in the nations attitude about substance abuse and addiction with the publication of his book, HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It. For more information visit http://www.casacolumbia.org/

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