Nicotine dependence and lifetime amount of smoking in a population sample

Aim: To determine how the age at starting smoking, any quit attempts and the single nicotine dependence criteria are related to the lifetime amount of smoking. Methods: A population-based sample of 4075 18 to 64-year-olds drawn at random in northern Germany was used. It included 836 former and 1601 current smokers. They were interviewed face-to-face at their homes with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview which provides a nicotine dependence diagnosis (DSM-IV). Also included was the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. Results: The rates of smokers who started smoking at a young age, who had five or more quit attempts in the past and who fulfilled the single nicotine dependence criteria increased with the lifetime amount of tobacco smoked. Conclusion: Nicotine dependence may be a main impeding factor against efforts to decrease smoker rates.