Percentage of participants who attained each milestone, and the mean age of attaining each milestone among a cohort of adolescent current smokers in Lebanon
| Milestone (age in years) | Waterpipe smokers | Cigarette smokers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | Mean*(SD) | N (%) | Mean (SD) | |
| Age of first smoking | 160 (100) | 12.9 (1.9) | 24 (100) | 11.3 (4.9) |
| Age of first inhaling tobacco smoke into lungs† | 160 (100) | 12.9 (1.9) | 16 (66.6) | 13.3 (1.4) |
| Age first HONC item was experienced | 114 (71.2) | 14.1 (1.4) | 18 (75.0) | 13.9 (1.1) |
| Age first experienced Wanting (PD stage 2) | 92 (57.5) | 13.9 (1.3) | 13 (54.2) | 13.8 (1.4) |
| Age of attaining ICD-10 ND | 61 (38.1) | 14.6 (1.3) | 6 (25.0) | 14.7 (1.1) |
| Age first experienced Craving (PD stage 3) | 42 (26.2) | 14.3 (1.2) | 7 (29.2) | 14.2 (1.2) |
| Age first experienced Needing (PD stage 4) | 14 (8.8) | 15.0 (1.7) | 7 (29.2) | 14.7 (1.3) |
*None of the differences are statistically significant.
†As inhalation is required for waterpipe smoking, the age of inhaling was assumed to be the same as the age of first smoking a waterpipe.
HONC, Hooked on Nicotine Checklist; ICD-10 ND, International Classification of Diseases, Nicotine Dependence (≥3 criteria); PD, Stages of Physical Dependence.