It just takes one cigarette

The so-called “sleeper effect” in kids:

Children who light up just once are twice as likely to become steady smokers later.

British researchers report that, among 11-year-olds, the desire to smoke can lie dormant for more than three years after trying just one cigarette.

The researchers call this a “sleeper effect,” and it doubles the risk that a child who smokes just one cigarette will become a regular smoker, according to their report in the July issue of Tobacco Control.