If you light up every now and then but still don't consider yourself a smoker, don't be fooled. Here's why part-time smokers are putting their health at full-time risk.
For some people, lighting up lasts a lifetime.
"I started when I was 17 years old. I smoked for 11 years," said one smoker.
But for others, the relationship is more like dating.
"Yeah, I started casually. I started in the bathroom," said another smoker.
Smoking rates may have gone down, but for one group, tobacco use is on the rise.
"Being a part-time smoker allows some people to be able to kind of deny that they're using tobacco," said Serena Chen, American Lung Association.
While chain-smoking is now viewed as socially unacceptable, the occasional cigarette doesn't have that stigma.
"Just partying with my friends, it was cool to smoke," said one smoker.
A recent study shows that 18- to 29-year-olds are twice as likely to be non-daily smokers than 50- to 64-year-olds. But the habit can be just as dangerous.
"Social smoking is like playing with fire in the sense that every time," said Chen.
When you smoke, you increase the likelihood of your brain creating addictive tendencies toward that nicotine. The occasional cigarette can also be a coping mechanism for stress, depression and weight loss.
"I think it's dangerous when we're not at our best, we make decisions about these things and then down the pike, we say, 'Oh why did I do that?'" said Dr. Tom Plante, psychologist.
Despite the regret, experts say part-time smokers never quit because they don't believe they're addicted. Experts say even part-time smokers might need to seek professional help before they can quit.
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