Abused Girls More Likely to Smoke Later On

When young girls are exposed to so-called adverse childhood experiences (ACE), their chances of becoming addicted to tobacco later on in life climb exponentially, the conclusions of a new scientific study recently revealed.

“Our results show that, among women, an underlying mechanism that links ACE to adult smoking is psychological distress, particularly among those who have suffered emotional or physical abuse or physical neglect as a child,” says study researcher Tara W Strine.

What the team basically found was that going through this type of experiences can definitely lead to the development of depression and anxiety, which then lead women to search for a way to cope. Smoking oftentimes becomes that method, EurekAlert reports.

For the purpose of this study, experts defined an ACE as being triggered by emotional, physical, or sexual abuses. Any of them can lead to a similar result, the research group explains.