Smoking rates in adolescents remain...

Smoking rates in adolescents remain high, with an approximate prevalence of 15 percent in middle gymnasium students and 34 percent in high academy students. More than one half of smoker in these age collections have reported wanting to stop smoking, and more than individual half have attempted to quit within the past year. Nicotine prop is high in adolescent smoker and nicotine replacement therapy has been considered for use in this age cluster Attempts recently have been made to make nicotine replacement therapy more accessible on reducing restrictions, expanding the stamp of sales outlets, reducing the require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergone of the products, and recommending that physicians propound this therapy to adolescents who are interested in smoking cessation. This increase in accessibility tenders some benefits but does have a certain quantity of risks, including the potential use of nicotine replacement therapy in nonsmokers. Adolescent smoker will ne assistance in maximizing the smoking cessation potential of this therapy. Klesge and associates evaluated the prevalence, ease of access, and reasons for using nicotine replacement therapy. They also examined the inappropriate use of nicotine replacement therapy in this age group

The reflection design was a cross-sectional overlook of high school students from 40 eligible high trains in a large, urban arrangement Questions about nicotine replacement therapy were included in a six-year prospective contemplation of smoking initiation and cessation. greatest in number students who took the scan were in 11th grade. close examiners 18 years and older were exclud because they met the legal age requirement for buying nicotine replacement therapy. Specific examples of smoking habits were used to categorize observers as smokers or nonsmokers. The scan also asked about use of nicotine replacement therapy, ease of access to this therapy, and reasons for using it. The main issue measured was self-reported use of nicotine replacement therapy and characteristics of observers who used therapy.

Of the 4078 observers included in the data analysis, 59 percent were former smoker 260 percent were experimental smoker and 131 percent were regular smoker A total of 53 percent of all participants reported using nicotine replacement therapy. Approximately 40 percent of former smoker used nicotine replacement therapy as a cessation aid. Three fourths of common smokers used nicotine replacement therapy when they were not able to nothingness Of the adolescents who used nicotine replacement therapy, 18 percent said they were nonsmokers. More than the same half of the respondents said it would be easy for them to acquire nicotine replacement products.

The authors close that adolescent smokers and nonsmokers use nicotine replacement therapy. They add that this therapy is easily obtained and used for reasons other than smoking cessation. Efforts should be made to make secure that nicotine replacement therapy is used appropriately in adolescents interested in smoking cessation. Physicians should discourage the use of nicotine replacement therapy in nonsmokers.

Klesge LM et al. Use of nicotine replacement therapy in adolescent smoker and nonsmokers. Arch Pediatr Adolesc M June 2003;157:517-22

EDITOR'S NOTE: the same of the more important issues that we address in our adolescent patients is tobacco abuse. Despite late declines in total smoking rates in the general population, the rate in adolescents has been increasing. This increase makes smoking cessation on a level more difficult because of the substantial impact of fellow pressure on adolescents. The use of adjuvant medications and counseling have been shown to improve smoking cessation rates. Nicotine replacement has been shown to be beneficial in adolescent smoker novel attempts to make these issues more available to adolescents have been a mixed blessing. Nicotine replacement therapy provides us with another tool in our attempts to improve smoking cessation rates in this age assemblage Unfortunately, it also increases the abuse potential. Klesge and colleagues have shown that the potential for abuse is not absent not only in smokers if it be not that also in nonsmokers. Physicians should be aware of this potential when they provide care for adolescent patients.--K.E.M.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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