“But this study demonstrates that many lighter smokers, even those who do not smoke every day, can be addicted to cigarettes. “Lighter smoking is correctly perceived as less harmful than heavy smoking, but it still carries significant health risks,” Oliver said. They found that 85% of the daily cigarette smokers were addicted to some extent -- either mild, moderate, or severe addiction. “This was the first time that severity of cigarette addiction has been described across the full range of cigarette use frequency,” said Foulds, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher. “Clinicians should ask about all smoking behavior, including non-daily smoking, as such smokers may still require treatment to successfully quit smoking.

Source: Hindustan Times December 28, 2020 09:11 UTC