“Increased exposure to second-hand smoke, both in homes and in cars, was linked with an increased likelihood of children reporting nicotine addiction – even though, these kids had never actually smoked a cigarette,” said senior study author, Jennifer O’Loughlin, M Sc, PhD, an epidemiologist at Universite de Montreal.

The addictive power of smoking may lie not only in tobacco's nicotine content but also in the way it enhances other experiences, according to new research.

A poll conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that more Pitt students have smoked tobacco from a hookah, or water pipe, than had smoked cigarettes. Three-quarters of students surveyed said they believed smoking a hookah was less addictive than smoking cigarettes, and almost half believed (incorrectly) that smoking a hookah was less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

A George Washington University researcher estimates that GOP presidential candidate John McCain has about a 20 percent chance of dying in office if elected, based on his age and past use of tobacco. John Banzhaf, a well-known tobacco researcher and industry critic, said that McCain, 72, has a 10-year death risk of between 35 and 50 percent, and also a high risk of disability.

A monograph from the National Cancer Institute states that tobacco promotions and depictions of tobacco use in movies both cause teenagers to start smoking. At least three-quarters of hit movies show scenes of smoking, and the report added that even brief exposures to tobacco promotion have a demonstrated effect on youth attitudes.

With all the smoking cessation tools available to those trying to quit, an unexpected motivator is coming from the increasingly popular world of cosmetic surgery. Several patients are successfully quitting after being told by their surgeons that their smoking will impede proper healing of their skin after the surgery.

New research reveals how the brain processes the ‘rewarding’ and addictive properties of nicotine, providing a better understanding of why some people seemingly become hooked with their first smoke. The research, led by Steven Laviolette of The University of Western Ontario, could lead to new therapies to prevent nicotine dependence and to treat nicotine withdrawal when smokers try to quit.

Last week's disclosure that Amy Winehouse has "signs of emphysema," according to her U.S. publicist, Tracey Miller, shocked many. It seemed stunning to learn that someone that age could suffer from a disease usually associated with two-pack-a-day 65-year-olds. But, in fact, Winehouse is not an anomaly. Health experts say that young adult smokers are no strangers to mild emphysema, a shortness of breath caused by damage to the lung's small air sacs.

Smoking and obesity could both cause permanent hearing damage, say scientists. Either could threaten blood flow to the ear, they say, with damage levels clearly linked to the level of obesity or the length of a smoking habit.

Middle-aged adults who smoke tended to perform poorly on tests of memory and reasoning compared to nonsmokers, adding to the list of reasons not to smoke, French researchers said on Monday.