The Sleeper Effect
A new study stresses the importance of the first cigarette tried by adolescents. The study states that 11 year olds who had at least one cigarette "were twice as likely to start smoking regularly by age 14 than their peers who reported never smoking cigarettes at age 11." The sleeper effect is the explanation provided by the study for how there could be a significant passage of time between first time use and regular use. The study recognizes that this could be on account of any of three reasons: "One cigarette may set the stage, biologically, for vulnerability to smoking. Smoking a first cigarette may break down social barriers to smoking. Personality traits, in certain situations, may nudge one-time smokers towards regular smoking."