RxPG News : Smoking

Exposure to smoking-cessation product ads helps smokers quit

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

July 23, 2007 -- The more magazine ads smokers see for the nicotine patch and other quit-smoking aids, the more likely they are to try to quit smoking and be successful -- even without buying the products, finds a new Cornell study.

Want to quit smoking? Therapy and willpower can help

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:15:12 PST

Kiel -, July 18 - Smoking bans in public places have recently come into effect in several European countries, and Germany is set to join their ranks next month.

Smokers lose more muscle in old age: study

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:39:28 PST

London, July 10 - Latest research by scientists in Britain indicates that besides causing cancer, heart attacks and strokes, smoking also affects muscles.

Children of smokers have more than 5 times higher levels of a nicotine toxin

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:00:00 PST

Children who have at least one parent who smokes have 5.5 times higher levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in their urine, according to a study by researchers from Warwick Medical School at the the University of Warwick, and the University of Leicester, published online ahead of print in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Nicotine addiction depends on a healthy insula

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:28:06 PST

Smokers with a damaged insula – a region in the brain linked to emotion and feelings – quit smoking easily and immediately, according to a study in the Jan. 26 issue of the journal Science. The study provides direct evidence of smoking's grip on the brain. It also raises the possibility that other addictive behaviors may have an equally strong hold on neural circuits for pleasure.

Knee osteoarthritis more painful for smokers: study

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:50:30 PST

New York, Dec 7 - Knee osteoarthritis, which causes inflammation and loss of cartilage in joints, is likely to be more painful for smokers, say US scientists.

Cutting down cigarettes does not reduce health risk

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:29:57 PST

London, Nov 28 - Heavy smokers who halve their daily cigarette intake hoping to minimise health risks may not get any benefit, says a study.

C. elegans provides model for the genetics of nicotine dependence

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 18:20:00 PST

The unassuming C. elegans nematode worm, a 1-millimeter workhorse of the genetics lab, is quite similar to human beings in its genetic susceptibility to nicotine dependence, according to University of Michigan researchers.

Smoking Ban Associated With Rapid Improvement In Health Of Bar Workers in Scotland

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 05:11:00 PST

Bar workers in Scotland showed significant improvements in respiratory symptoms and lung function within 2 months following a ban on smoking in confined public places, according to a study in the October 11 issue of JAMA. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is a major worldwide public health issue, according to background information in the article. The effects on individuals has been difficult to measure, but a number of studies have established an increased risk of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and lung cancer, and the 2006 report by the U.S. surgeon general highlighted the causal relationship between secondhand smoke and premature death. In addition, for patients with preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma, secondhand smoke leads to poorer disease control and more frequent hospital admission.

Smoking media literacy (SML) is a valuable tool in efforts to discourage teens from smoking

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:45:00 PST

Today alone, more than 4,400 U.S. teenagers will start smoking, according to statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Many of these adolescents will be lured to cigarettes by advertisements and movies that feature sophisticated models and actors, suggesting that smoking is a glamorous, grown-up activity. However, teens who are savvier about the motives and methods of advertisers may be less inclined to take to cigarettes, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study indicates.

Hold the Hookah

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:51:00 PST

The growing fad of smoking tobacco through a waterpipe, sometimes known as a hookah, is rapidly turning into a worrisome epidemic, according to a Georgetown University researcher who says smokers who think this form of tobacco use is less toxic than cigarettes are wrong.

Weight concerns affects women's motivations to stay smoke-free after delivery

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:43:00 PST

Although many women quit smoking during pregnancy, the majority will resume smoking after having a baby. Results of a University of Pittsburgh study suggest that women's worries about weight may decrease their motivation to remain smoke-free postpartum. The study is published in the October issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Nicotine Withdrawal Begins Within 30 Minutes

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 20:28:00 PST

Smokers who have tried to quit are well aware of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal: cravings for cigarettes, mood disturbances, appetite increase and sleep problems. However, it had not previously been known when withdrawal symptoms first appear. Thomas H. Brandon, Ph.D., Director of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute's Tobacco Research & Intervention Program and his research team from Moffitt and the University of South Florida study examined this and found that within 30 minutes, the abstaining smokers reported greater cravings for cigarettes. Results have been published in the most recent issue of Psychopharmacology, authored by Peter S. Hendricks, Joseph, W. Ditre, and David J. Drobes, and Brandon.

Varenicline Appears Effective In Helping Smokers Kick The Habit

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:28:00 PST

Women younger than age 75 years who eat diets rich in the yellow plant pigments lutein and zeaxanthin may have a reduced risk of developing the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Smokers with chronic pain smoke more

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 17:12:00 PST

Smokers who experience significant pain smoke more cigarettes per day than those who are not regularly in pain, according to a study published by researchers at the University of Kentucky. However, more than half of smokers with pain are at least considering quitting smoking.

Varenicline Prevents Relapse of Smoking Behaviour

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:12:00 PST

In a study, Serena Tonstad, M.D., Ph.D., of Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway and colleagues with the Varenicline Phase 3 Study Group conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of an additional 12 weeks of varenicline used for relapse prevention in smokers who successfully achieved abstinence following an initial 12-week varenicline treatment.

Varenicline produce higher continuous smoking abstinence rates

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:09:00 PST

In a study, Douglas E. Jorenby, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis., and colleagues with the Varenicline Phase 3 Study Group conducted a study designed identical to that of Gonzales et al to assess the efficacy and safety of varenicline for smoking cessation compared with placebo and bupropion SR during initial treatment and long-term follow-up.

Varenicline shows effectiveness in helping smokers quit

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:02:00 PST

The drug varenicline shows effectiveness in helping smokers quit and abstain from smoking when compared to placebo and the smoking cessation medication bupropion, according to three studies in the July 5 issue of JAMA. Although nearly 41 percent of smokers try to quit smoking each year, relapse is common, and only about 10 percent achieve and maintain abstinence. The negative effects of nicotine withdrawal account, in part, for low success rates, according to background information in the article. Approved pharmacotherapies to treat nicotine dependence (e.g., nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion) have had important, but moderate efficacy, with reported rates of quitting generally twice those of placebo. Additional and more effective therapies are needed.

False perception of reduced health risks may factor into decision to keep smoking

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:11:00 PST

People who smoke low-tar and low-nicotine, or "light" cigarettes thinking they will reduce their health risks may actually be less likely to kick the habit, according to research conducted by University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University. As such, light cigarette smokers increase their lifetime risk of a variety of smoking-related diseases suggests the study published online by the American Journal of Public Health.

Genetics make it difficult for both genders to stop smoking

Sat, 24 Jun 2006 02:58:00 PST

Researchers have long known that reasons for smoking include social pressure and other environmental factors, as well as genetic factors based on results of previous twin studies. Now a more comprehensive study of twins by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) has provided a better understanding of these complex influences. They found that women are far more likely than men to start smoking because of environmental factors, whereas genetic factors appear to play a larger role in influencing men to start smoking.

Understanding how nicotine switches on the brain's reward machinery

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:51:00 PST

Understanding what makes people crave the high of nicotine is a key to developing treatment for this highly addictive drug. And that understanding involves tracing the neural machinery by which nicotine switches on the brain's reward machinery.

Enhanced brain response to smoking cues found in African American

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 09:21:00 PST

African American smokers show greater brain activations in response to smoking cues, such as images of individuals smoking, than Caucasian smokers, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota. The study, published in the June issue of the journal Addiction Biology, measured increased brain activity in regions associated with emotion and reward, which may explain why African American smokers are less successful than Caucasians at quitting.

Compulsion to smoke can lie dormant for three years

Thu, 25 May 2006 13:27:00 PST

If you are a teen and smoked just one cigarette at the age of 11 you may take up smoking within the next few years again, says a study.

Analyzing Milestones and Misses in Smoking Cessation

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 18:30:00 PST

In the first study of its kind, University of Pittsburgh psychologist and professor Saul Shiffman has discovered that people who are trying to quit smoking by wearing the nicotine patch are less likely to spiral into a total relapse if they keep wearing the patch, even if they've "cheated" and smoked a cigarette. The groundbreaking study, titled Analyzing Milestones in Smoking Cessation: Illustration in a Nicotine Patch Trial in Adult Smokers, will be published May 2 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Passive smoking increases risk of glucose intolerance

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 21:40:00 PST

A study published on bmj.com this week shows for the first time that breathing other peoples smoke raises the risk of developing glucose intolerance, the precursor to diabetes.

Smokers assume false sense of safety from ads for low nicotine cigarettes

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 04:12:00 PST

A study by researchers at the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that many smokers make false inferences about the safety of new low nicotine cigarettes. This research appears in the March issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Smokers Children Carry Higher Levels of Harmful Bacteria

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:26:00 PST

Many of the medical risks associated with smoking, such as cancer, emphysema and heart attacks, are well-known to physicians and the general public. However, there is new evidence that more children exposed to tobacco smoke carry Streptococcus pneumoniae than children without smoking exposure, according to an article in the April 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Unplanned quit smoking attempts succeed more

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:00:00 PST

Unplanned attempts to stop smoking are more likely to succeed than planned ones, concludes a study published online by the BMJ.

Reviewing evidence for effectiveness of gene-based smoking cessation

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:20:00 PST

An editorial in the January 2006 issue of the Psychiatric Bulletin reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of gene-based smoking cessation packages, and asks whether they are appropriate for psychiatric patients.

Individualized nicotine patch therapy for recovering alcoholic smokers

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 20:35:00 PST

Tobacco-caused disease is the leading cause of death for patients with alcoholism, but a study led by The Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center brings hope to non-depressed, recovering alcoholics who also smoke -- individualized nicotine patch therapy. The findings were published in the July issue of Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

Randomised controlled trial of home based motivational interviewing by midwives to help pregnant smokers quit or cut down

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:19:00 PST

Motivational interviewing by specially trained midwives does not help pregnant smokers to quit, finds new research in this weeks BMJ.

Simple Questions May Determine Children's Exposure to Smoke

Thu, 05 May 2005 21:05:00 PST

Pediatricians can reliably identify children at risk for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (secondhand smoke) by asking parents just three questions, according to an article in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Vitamin C counteracts some negative impacts of smoking on unborn babies

Sun, 01 May 2005 21:45:00 PST

Research conducted in monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, suggests high doses of vitamin C may have potential to counteract some negative impacts of smoking in unborn babies. The research may benefit thousands of babies born to mothers who continue to smoke throughout pregnancy despite physician warnings. The research is published in the current edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Why its so hard to stop smoking

Mon, 11 Apr 2005 12:33:00 PST

New research has revealed that smokers may struggle to quit the habit because being deprived of nicotine means they lack motivation and find normally pleasurable tasks less enjoyable.

Smoking while pregnant may increase chromosomal abnormalities

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:59:00 PST

A preliminary report suggests that maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with increased chromosomal abnormalities in fetal cells, according to a study in the March 9 issue of JAMA.