title: Nicotine dependence symptoms among young never-smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To extend previous observations that secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is associated with nicotine markers in children, we investigated if SHS exposure is associated with self-reports of nicotine dependence (ND) symptoms among young never-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on number of persons who smoke inside the home, number of days exposed to SHS in a motor vehicle in the past week, number of parents, siblings, and friends who smoke, and ND symptoms, were collected from 10-12 year-old students in self-report questionnaires. The association between SHS and ND symptoms among young never-smokers was assessed in logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine of 1488 never-smokers (5%) reported one or more ND symptom. After controlling for sibling and peer smoking, and susceptibility to initiating smoking, exposure to SHS in a motor vehicle was independently associated with ND symptoms (OR, 95% CI=1.2, 1.0-1.4). The OR for number of persons who smoke inside the home was 1.1 (0.9-1.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SHS exposure in motor vehicles may be associated with ND symptoms among young never-smokers. If replicated, this finding provides support for interventions that promote non-smoking in motor vehicles.
authors.affiliation: Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Université de Moncton and Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. mathieu.belanger2@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Loughlin
authors.forename: Chizimuzo T C
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Okoli
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Maninder
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Setia
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guyon
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gervais