Is an occasional cigarette really that bad?

By some estimates, about 10 per cent of people in the United States consider themselves “social smokers” who light up only when they are with other people.

There is not much research on those who bum a cigarette every so often, but here is what people do know: Cigarettes are still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the US, and experts say that even social smoking carries risks – especially the risk of addiction.