Study explains why youth are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction

A groundbreaking study from Pennsylvania State University reveals that young adults are more susceptible to nicotine's harmful effects compared to middle-aged individuals. Researchers discovered that younger subjects experience more intense physiological reactions to the same nicotine doses, potentially increasing their addiction vulnerability. The study highlights the complex interactions between age and chemical responses in the body. These findings could have significant implications for addiction prevention and treatment strategies targeting younger populations.

"People continue to develop and change across their entire lifespan" - Thomas Gould, Penn State Professor

Study explains why youth are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction

Young adults are more susceptible to the impact of nicotine, as their bodies are more sensitive to the dangerous and highly addictive chemical than middle-aged adults, according to a new study.

Key Points

1 Mice study shows young adults more sensitive to nicotine

2 Nicotine lowers body temperature faster in younger subjects

3 Age significantly impacts chemical response mechanisms

4 Increased addiction risk for youth exposed to nicotine

In a mice study, researchers from the Pennsylvania State University in the US showed that the effects of drugs on the body -- both medication and misused substances -- change as per age.

They stressed the need to consider this factor when developing and prescribing treatments against nicotine. The findings, appearing in the journal Behavioral Pharmacology, showed that nicotine lowers the body temperature of young adult mice more quickly and reduces their movement more significantly than middle-aged mice.

Further, young adult mice -- aged two months – were found to respond more acutely to a nicotine dose of the same strength relative to their body size than middle-aged mice -- aged eight months.

These results indicate how the effects of nicotine change as people age, said the researchers.

"People continue to develop and change across their entire lifespan, and this affects how our bodies respond to medications and other chemicals, including nicotine. This research adds one piece to the puzzle of all the factors -- age, biological sex, genetics, and many others -- needed to create effective medical treatments and policies for all people," said Thomas Gould, Professor of Biobehavioral Health and head of Penn State Department of Biobehavioral Health.

In the study, both young adult and middle-aged study subjects displayed decreased movement after receiving nicotine, but young adults reduced their movements more than middle-aged subjects. This indicates that the young adult subjects experienced the effects of nicotine more intensely, the researchers said.

The study shows that the younger a person is, the more acute is the response to nicotine. This has implications both for prevention messages and for supporting young nicotine users who want to quit.

Increased susceptibility to nicotine may also spike the risk of developing an addiction that can have serious health implications, said the team.

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