[Smoking experimentation in adolescents. Is there a risk for health?]

It is clear that even low rate smoking is hazardous for health, the risk being independently increased by the daily number of cigarettes smoked and by the duration of smoking. The question raised is thus: will an adolescent experimenter be a non smoker, an experimenter for ever, a regular smoker, light or heavy? This short review shows that there are numerous factors from genetics, to familial environment not limited to tobacco issues, smoking situation at school as well as school performances of the student, and also individual psychological characteristics. The experimenter is a very good target for smoking cessation actions and should deserve particular attention from preventive medicine and, thus, from school medicine, before he becomes a regular smoker, who will be more resistant to smoking cessation programs.