DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Smoking in the teens might lead to long-term nicotine addiction, according to an animal study conducted by North Carolina's Duke University.
The results of a study by the DU pharmacology wing published in the Sept. 2003 issue of the journal Psychopharmacology said the age individuals begin using nicotine has a physiological impact encouraging use of the drug.
Researchers compared the amount of nicotine self-administered by adolescent rats to the amount used by animals first exposed during adulthood. Young rats showed nearly double the rate of nicotine use compared to those exposed as adults, the study found.
"The results indicate that early nicotine exposure can leave a lasting imprint on the brain," said Edward Levin, a professor in the psychiatry and behavioral sciences department at Duke University Medical Center.
