All focus group participants provided an anecdote of their first time trying smoking. Although participants gave a variety of first time smoking stories, there are some trends which emerged. These trends include their age and who they were with when they first tried smoking, why they tried it, and where they got the cigarettes. Habituation of smoking is discussed later in this report.

Age at first smoking experience - Amongst focus group participants grade 7 (around 12) is the most commonly mentioned time to try smoking with grade 8 (around 13) being the most frequently mentioned time of habituation. A very small minority first tried smoking at a very early age. This is consistent with the survey results where 40% of current teen smokers have smoked their first whole cigarette by the age of 13 and 83% have done so before the age of 15 for an average age of initiation of 12.7 years. The pattern of responses among teens who are former cigarette smokers is similar, with 4% indicating they began smoking before the age of 10, 43% before 13 and 70% before 15. The average age of initiation among these former cigarette smokers is 13.2 years.

First time smoking accomplices - The vast majority of teens try smoking for the first time with one friend, although some try it with two or more of their friends. For most teens, especially females teens, it was their "best friend" at the time who accompanied them on this adventure. A very small minority tried it on their own or with a sibling.

Reasons for trying smoking for the first time - Peer pressure played a major role in every anecdote told in the groups. "I was a geek in grade 7 and I really wanted to get with the ‘in’ crowd." The need of a teenager to be accepted and part of a group is a powerful force: the fear of losing a friend if they didn’t smoke; wanting the popular people to like them; feeling more grown up and mature; and the feeling that everyone is doing it were all cited as reasons for smoking. Curiosity also plays a role in the initiation of smoking and is more likely to be mentioned by male teens as a reason for wanting to try smoking. Also coming into play is interaction between the sexes. For example, one female teen started because her boyfriend smoked while other female teen are motivated by the fact that they see the opposite sex smoking. "The guy I had a crush on was smoking and I wanted him to think I was cool." Interestingly, male teens did not mentioned seeing the other sex smoking as a motivation for starting.

Influence of family and friends - A nearly universal pattern is the existence of at least one member of the immediate family who smokes and the fact that almost all of their friends smoke. For some participants all members of their family smoked and for others they could not think of one friend who did not smoke. The smoking teens we talked to are surrounded by other smokers and the habit of smoking on a daily basis making it hard for them to escape from smoking. One teen commented on the inevitability of smoking since all his family members smoke, always have and always will.

Where did the cigarettes come from? - Obtaining cigarettes for their first experimentation with smoking is not difficult. Most participants said that their friend provided the cigarettes for this first time experience either from older siblings or by stealing them from their parents’ supply. Other lesser mentioned ways of obtaining cigarettes included: getting cigarette butts from ashtrays, buying the cigarettes themselves, or asking their parents.

Role models - Teens look to older people as role models, especially when they are between the age of 10 to 14. Many mentioned looking at the older teens, whether they were older siblings or cousins, older teens in their school or to a lesser extent role models on TV or in the movies. Some of the older teens were aware that they are role models to other.

Physical reaction to first time experiences - Almost all participants conveyed that their first time smoking resulted in a negative physical experience involving coughing, choking, head aches, and nausea. The one perceived positive physical effect of first time experiences with smoking is the head rush, buzz or dizzy feeling it gives. Smoking experimentation occurs at a time when many other types of physical experimentation are emerging (alcohol, drugs, sex), although cigarettes tend to be one of the first. These new and different feelings are curious and intriguing to teens and therefore a very attractive option.

The pains of learning a new thing - Most teens mentioned that, with a little perseverance, you get past these bad physical side effects and "get used to it." Learning to smoke is just like anything else; you look to others to see how they are doing it, you ask for help from your friends and you practice until you get it right. Learning to inhale properly and be able to handle it is a rite of passage for a teenager.

Very few teens started regularly smoking immediately after their first smoking experience. For almost all of them there was a period of time between experimentation and habituation which ranged from several months to several years. Grade 8 or 9 (around 12 to 14 years of age), when teens are entering junior high school and are around older peers, was a frequently mentioned time for regularly taking up smoking. At this point smoking becomes a part of their daily routine and the addictive effect starts to take root. Teens often said that all of their friends were smoking so they started to do it more regularly. In fact, teens usually smoke with friends as opposed to by themselves. It is a social activity to share with their friends.