Parents can give kids nicotine dependence

SHERBROOKE, Quebec, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Parents who smoke cigarettes around their children in cars and homes may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in them, Canadian researchers warn.

Lead author Mathieu Belanger of the Universite de Sherbrooke and Universite de Moncton said study participants were recruited from 29 Quebec schools as part of AdoQuest, a cohort investigation that measures tobacco use and other health-compromising behaviors.

About 1,800 children ages 10 to 12, from all socioeconomic levels, were asked to complete questionnaires on their health and behaviors. Researchers also asked questions about symptoms of nicotine dependence and exposure to secondhand smoke.

"According to conventional understanding, a person who does not smoke cannot experience nicotine dependence," Belanger said in a statement.

"Our study found that 5 percent of children who had never smoked a cigarette, but who were exposed to secondhand smoke in cars or their homes, reported symptoms of nicotine dependence."

Senior author Dr. Jennifer O'Loughlin of the Universite de Montreal, who collaborated with researchers, said exposure to secondhand smoke among non-smokers may cause symptoms that seem to reflect several nicotine withdrawal symptoms: depressed mood, trouble sleeping, irritability, anxiety, restlessness, trouble concentrating and increased appetite.

The findings are published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.