Researchers urge governments to raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes to 22 years or higher

In 2020, more than one in five people worldwide used tobacco. Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Smokers below the age of 50 years have a five-fold higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared with their non-smoking peers. The legal age to purchase tobacco is 18 years old in many countries, but in some nations, there are no age restrictions. It is estimated that nearly nine out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first try smoking by age 18, and 99 per cent first try smoking by age 26.

This study examined the relationship between the age of smoking initiation, nicotine dependence and smoking cessation. The study included smokers who had visited a smoking cessation clinic in Japan. Participants completed the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND), which asks questions such as “How soon after you wake up do you smoke your first cigarette?”, “Do you find it difficult to refrain from smoking in places where it is forbidden?” and “How many cigarettes per day do you smoke?”. Scores for each answer were added up for a total score indicating a nicotine dependency of low (score one - two), low to moderate (three–four), moderate (five-seven) or high (eight or higher).