Affiliation:
1. Government hospital for Mental Care, Visakhapatnam, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
Abstract
Increasing tobacco use by children in developing nations is a signicant threat to their physical and mental health. Cigarette smoking is often
1
considered as gateway to a more serious drug abuse. In most studies the average age of first-time smokers ranged from 12-14 years.
Several risk factors-neurobiological, family, peer inuences, sociocultural and psychiatric comorbidity increase vulnerability to development of
substance use disorders. Early tobacco use needs timely intervention to protect a vulnerable child from becoming addicted. Here we present a case
of early onset of tobacco smoking in a 9 year male child from Kolkata. The child was brought by his mother with chief complaints of cigarette
smoking, headache, easy irritability, decreased academic performance and stealing money since 2 years, which were increased in the last 6 months.
The child showed a complete remission on Oral Risperidone 0.5 mg and supportive psychoeducation for 12 months.
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