The dangerous effects of cigarette smoking account for nearly one in every five deaths each year in the United States, resulting in more annual deaths than those caused by HIV, drug and alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined, according to the Center for Disease Control.  In a forthcoming article, Psychology Professor Lisa Dierker hopes to catch and prevent young smokers who are at high risk of addiction, especially those who show the early signs of nicotine dependency.

The article, “Early Emerging Nicotine Dependence Symptoms: A signal of propensity for chronic smoking behavior among adolescent smokers,” written by Professor Dierker and University of Illinois at Chicago Professor Robin J. Mermelstein, will be published in The Journal of Pediatrics this month. The data comes from 756 adolescents who participated in a University of Illinois at Chicago study.

According to Dierker, young people often begin smoking believing that they will be able to quit whenever they want to, with little understanding of the real difficulties of ending an addiction.

“The most effective preventative measure is to stop young smokers before they get hooked,” Dierker said.

The article is based on the research of Associate Professor Dierker and her colleague in the psychology department, Professor Jennifer Rose. Of the study’s 756 participants, 594 had not yet smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, while 152 had smoked more than 100 cigarettes but were smoking less than five cigarettes a day. The article examines nicotine addiction symptoms both at the start of the study and two years later.

The findings report that participants who smoked less than 100 cigarettes and who experienced and endorsed addiction-like cravings and withdrawals were more likely to be smoking two years later. The American Cancer Society lists irritability, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, boredom, weight gain, and sleep disturbances as potential withdrawal symptoms.

Dierker emphasized the importance of taking preventative measures before heavy addiction sets in, noting that most universities across the country are placing restrictions on smoking in certain locations.

“I think it’s a good thing for everyone,” she said. “You have to consider second-hand smoke, too. It’s a public health issue, not just an individual issue.”