Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Smoking damage may begin within minutes of inhalation
By Staff Writer
Based on a newly released report, smokers may want to seek substance abuse help before their addiction can lead to irreversible harm to their health. According to scientists, cigarette smoke begins to cause genetic damage minutes after inhalation into one's lungs.
The report, which appeared in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, is the first human study that analyzed the link between certain substances in tobacco and the DNA damage that is linked to cancer.
Tobacco contains a harmful ingredient that has been linked to lung cancer diagnoses in smokers. In the study, scientists attached a label to one of these substances to track the effects of cigarette use on the bloodstreams of 12 volunteer smokers. The researchers tracked the substance and found that it quickly became toxic to the participants' DNA and could lead to cancer-causing mutations.
Researchers were surprised to see that within 15 to 30 minutes of smoking, the volunteer smokers had developed the maximum levels of the substance in their bloodstream.
To the scientists behind the study, these results should serve as a stark warning to anybody who may want to start smoking. Individuals who find they have grown dependent on cigarettes may want to seek treatment from an addiction treatment center.
