Teens are more likely to smoke if they have been victims of trauma, such as unwanted sexual contact, physical abuse, or interpersonal violence.

Dr. Bernard Fuemmeler, a Duke University professor, looked at the records of more than 15,000 people ages 15 to 22 and found that those who had experienced childhood trauma were more likely to smoke in their early teen years. Witnessing or being a victim of physical assault nearly doubled the chances of a teen starting to smoke in the same year.

This study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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Labels: smoking, trauma, violence