This is the first study to report a significant relationship between the rate of nicotine metabolism and withdrawal symptoms and self-reported addiction in adolescent light smokers. Furthermore, although earlier studies have documented self-reported withdrawal symptoms in light adolescent smokers(27, 28), ours is the first study to do so in an experimental setting. Our study supports the idea that physical dependence can develop at relatively low levels of nicotine intake. In addition to confirming the presence of withdrawal in adolescent light smokers, this study contributes to the debate about how dependence begins, including the possibility that faster metabolizers of nicotine may be at greater risk for becoming addicted to nicotine compared with slower metabolizers.
