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- December 2009
- Smoking soon after waking increases health risks
Smoking soon after waking increases health risks
Friday 4 December: People who smoke their first cigarette within a few minutes of waking up have higher levels of nicotine in the body than those who wait more than half an hour to smoke, according to new research.
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The study, carried out in the US, involved over 250 male and female smokers. The researchers measured the amount of a nicotine by-product (cotinine) there was in the urine and bloodstream of each person. They did this to find out if there is a link between the time the first cigarette is smoked and the amount of nicotine absorbed by the body. The researchers also asked each person a series of questions about their smoking history.
The people in the study were divided into two groups: those who smoked within the first 30 minutes of waking up, (the high dependency group) and those who waited more than 30 minutes, (the low dependency group).
The researchers found that regardless of how many cigarettes a person smoked, if they smoked within the first half hour of waking, they had higher nicotine levels than those who waited. More importantly, nicotine levels appear to reflect the risk of lung cancer, therefore, people who smoke immediately after waking may be at higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Dr Sneh Khemka, Bupa International’s medical director, commented: “Although the researchers have not discovered why people who smoke first thing in the morning have higher levels of nicotine in their body, this research gives us potentially valuable insights into smoking behaviour and risk
“This research leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but the take home message is clear – don’t smoke. If you are a smoker, don’t smoke as soon as you wake up, or better still quit altogether.”
“To help you quit smoking, try keeping a diary of things that trigger you to smoke, write down how you could deal with them if you were to stop smoking - a good way to break a habit is to replace it with a new one. Also, talk to your doctor who can put you in touch with groups to help you quit smoking and may prescribe nicotine replacement medicines.”
Key facts
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Nicotine is an addictive drug that causes both physical and psychological dependence. It is a complex form of addiction as you often have a strong desire to smoke, even if you wish to stop.
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Over 15 billion cigarettes are smoked worldwide every day. More importantly over 500 million people alive today will be killed by tobacco.
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Cotinine is a specific indicator of the inhalation of tobacco smoke, ie nicotine. Cotinine is a product of the breakdown of nicotine by the body, it is therefore a good measure of nicotine absorption.
- By stopping smoking, you can improve your health and live longer. As smoking also causes wrinkled, damaged skin, giving up is likely to make you look better too!
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Read the study
Time to first cigarette after waking predicts cotinine levels. Joshua E. Muscat,1 Steven Stellman, Ralph Caraballo. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(12).
Contact us
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To discuss your needs, please call us on:
+44 (0) 1273 718 306
If you are a smoker, don’t smoke as soon as you wake up, or better still quit altogether.
Dr Sneh Khemka
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