Join the 'Smoking Cessation' group to help and get support from people like you.

Americans Still Making Unhealthy Choices: CDC

Posted 2 days 15 hours ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 21 – The overall health of Americans isn't improving much, with about six in 10 people either overweight or obese and large numbers engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, heavy drinking or not exercising, a new government report shows. Released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report found Americans continuing to make many of the lifestyle choices that have led to soaring rates of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, including the following: About six of 10 adults drink, including an increase in those who reported episodic heavy drinking of five or more drinks in one day during the previous year. Twenty percent of adults smoke, and less than one-half of smokers attempted to quit in the past year. Only one in five adults met federal guidelines for both aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening exercise. One in three ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

No Drop in Teens' Use of 'Smokeless' Tobacco

Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 14 – About one in every 20 U.S. teens has used "smokeless" tobacco products such as chew or snuff, and that rate hasn't budged since 2000, a new report finds. Researchers led by Israel Agaku of the Harvard School of Public Health compared data from the 2000 and 2011 U.S. National Youth Tobacco Survey. The 2000 survey included nearly 36,000 students at 324 middle and high schools, while the 2011 survey included nearly 19,000 students at 178 middle and high schools. The students were asked if they had used smokeless tobacco products such as snuff, chewing or dipping tobacco for one or more days within the past 30 days. Overall, the percentage of students who reported using smokeless tobacco was 5.3 percent in 2000 and 5.2 percent in 2011, the team found. During that time, there was a drop in smokeless tobacco use among youngsters aged 9-14, but an increase among teens aged ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

For Pregnant Smokers, Vitamin C Might Help Babies' Lungs

Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 7 – Vitamin C may help prevent lung problems in babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy, according to a small new study. Pregnant women are advised not to smoke because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to problems such as wheezing and asthma. But if a pregnant woman can't quit smoking, taking vitamin C may help protect their baby's lungs, researchers found. The study included 159 women who were less than 22 weeks pregnant and unable to quit smoking. They were randomly assigned to take either one 500-milligram capsule of vitamin C or a placebo each day for the remainder of their pregnancy. Forty-eight hours after birth, babies born to women who took vitamin C had significantly better lung function than those whose mothers took the placebo. During their first year, wheezing was reported in 21 percent of infants whose mothers took vitamin C and in 40 percent of ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid, Protexin, Cecon, C/Rose Hips, Ester-C, Sunkist Vitamin C, Cemill, Ascorbic Acid Quick Melts, Cemill 500, Vita-C, Betac, Vicks Vitamin C Drops, Centrum Singles-Vitamin C, Ascocid, Vitamin C TR, Cee-500, Ascor L 500

Magnetic Brain Stimulation May Temporarily Dull Nicotine Craving

Posted 26 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 26 – Noninvasive stimulation of an area of the brain linked to addiction seems to temporarily ease smokers' cravings for nicotine, a preliminary study finds. The technique, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is already approved in the United States as a treatment for major depression. In the new study, reported in a recent issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers tested the effects of the treatment on 16 smokers' craving for nicotine. They found that in general, the smokers were yearning for nicotine after seeing tempting images – like a person lighting a cigarette. But after 15 minutes of transcranial magnetic stimulation, that craving dipped by almost 30 percent, on average. But whether brain stimulation could boost smokers' willpower, or ultimately help them quit, is anybody's guess. "This is just a pilot study," said lead researcher Dr. ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking Cessation

Smoking Bans in Public Housing Could Save Dollars, Lives: CDC

Posted 16 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 16 – Smoking bans in subsidized housing, including public housing and rental assistance programs, would save $521 million a year, according to new U.S. government research. The authors of the study, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimated that cuts in health care costs related to secondhand smoke would account for the bulk of the savings, or $341 million annually. They pointed out that smoke-free policies are particularly important in multi-unit housing, where exposure to secondhand smoke can be particularly harmful. "Many of the more than 7 million Americans living in subsidized housing in the United States are children, the elderly or disabled," Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said in a CDC news release. "These are people who are most sensitive to being exposed to secondhand smoke. This report shows ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

To Stop Smoking, Teens Should Start Moving

Posted 15 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 12 – A small amount of daily exercise can help teen smokers cut down on or quit their harmful habit, according to a new study. Researchers looked at 233 teens at 19 high schools in West Virginia, which has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation. Nearly 13 percent of people under age 18 in the state are smokers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All the teens in the study were daily smokers who smoked an average of half a pack a day on weekdays and a pack a day on weekends. They also had other unhealthy behaviors. "It is not unusual for teenage smokers to engage in other unhealthy habits. Smoking and physical inactivity, for instance, often go hand in hand," study lead author Kimberly Horn, associate dean for research at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, in Washington, D.C., said in a ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking Cessation

Ex-Convicts From Tobacco-Free Prisons Need Help to Stay Off Smokes

Posted 10 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 10 – Inmates who quit smoking while in smoke-free prisons are more likely to stay tobacco free if they receive special counseling before they're released, new research suggests. Interventions based on motivational interviewing and behavioral therapy improve smoking cessation rates among ex-convicts, according to a study published April 8 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. The study, led by Dr. Jennifer Clarke, of Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, involved nearly 300 inmates scheduled for release from a smoke-free prison in roughly eight weeks. Of the participants, 35 percent were women. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive six weekly sessions of education videos or a behavioral intervention known as the WISE intervention (Working Inside for Smoking Elimination). Three weeks after they were released from prison, 25 percent of the inmates assigned to ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

Most Doctors Don't Help Lung Cancer Patients Quit Smoking: Survey

Posted 3 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 3 – Although doctors treating people with lung cancer are aware of the importance of kicking the smoking habit, most don't routinely offer this type of assistance to their patients, according to new research. A survey conducted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) revealed many doctors do not feel prepared to effectively help their cancer patients stop smoking. "This is the largest assessment of tobacco assessment, cessation and perceptions of tobacco use by physicians who treat cancer patients," study author Dr. Graham Warren, vice chair for research in radiation oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina, said in an IASLC news release. "Tobacco use affects outcomes for virtually all cancer patients by increasing mortality, treatment complications, and other adverse health outcomes such as heart disease. Stopping tobacco use ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer

Health Tip: Stay Busy When Quitting Smoking

Posted 20 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

-- When you're trying to quit smoking, it can be tough to resist the urge to turn to food when you're trying to avoid cigarettes. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists these suggestions to help curb weight gain when quitting smoking: Keep your hands busy by drawing, knitting or doing puzzles. Try to cut back on your caffeine intake, as it's often associated with smoking. Get plenty of sleep so you feel rested. Instead of taking a cigarette break, go for a brisk walk. Have plenty of healthy, convenient foods on hand for snacking, such as low-fat dairy foods. Read more

Related support groups: Smoking Cessation

Quitting Cigarettes Cuts Heart Risks, Even If You Gain Weight

Posted 12 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 12 – Even though many smokers fear the weight gain that often comes with quitting, a new study suggests those extra pounds won't undo the health benefits of kicking the habit. The study, of more than 3,200 U.S. adults, found that former smokers cut their risk of heart disease and stroke in half. And it did not matter if they gained weight after quitting. "This gives reassurance to smokers that the benefits of quitting still far outweigh any small health risks that may come with weight gain," said Dr. Michael Fiore, founder of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Research suggests that half of women and one-quarter of men who smoke worry about gaining weight if they try to quit. "Weight gain is a common reason people cite for not quitting," said Fiore, who co-wrote an editorial that accompanied the study in the March ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

One in Five U.S. Smokers Has Tried an 'E-Cigarette'

Posted 28 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 28 – About one in five U.S. adult smokers has used electronic cigarettes, a new study finds. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals. They turn these substances into vapor that is inhaled by the user, which is referred to as "vaping." In 2011, about 21 percent of adult smokers in the United States said they had used e-cigarettes, up from about 10 percent in 2010. About 6 percent of all adults have tried e-cigarettes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released Thursday. Between 2010 and 2011, the use of e-cigarettes among adult smokers rose among both men and women, whites, those aged 45 to 54, people living in the South, and current and former smokers, the study authors found. In both years, e-cigarette use was much higher among current smokers than among former and never ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

Drinking Can Derail Women's Efforts to Quit Smoking

Posted 15 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 15 – You're sharing a bottle of wine at a party or sipping a margarita at the bar when you feel a strong urge for a cigarette – even though you've quit smoking. Unfortunately, willpower is all too weak in these situations, new research suggests. Women trying to stop smoking may at greater risk for relapse if they drink alcohol, according to the study from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Researchers found that women who drink to cope with the stress of trying to kick the habit may actually trigger more intense urges to smoke. Awareness of this effect may spur strategies to help drinkers tempted to return to tobacco. "Identification of situations that increase the risk for relapse will aid in the development of novel interventions that can address these situations in the moment of occurrence," Michael Businelle, an assistant professor and study co-author, ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking Cessation, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Smoking Still Takes a Heavy Toll in U.S., CDC Finds

Posted 25 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 25 – Even though proven anti-smoking strategies exist, more than 440,000 Americans still die each year from cigarette smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, federal health officials said Friday. And 8.6 million suffer from serious smoking-related illnesses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. One reason: the implementation of policies to deter smoking is spotty across the country, officials said. "We are seeing a large geographic disparity in smoking developing," said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. Regional differences existed 20 years ago, "but nothing like what we are seeing today," he noted. For example, about twice as many people in Kentucky smoke as in Utah and California, he said. Lung cancer rates are starting to mirror this pattern too, with higher rates in the states with more smokers and faster-declining ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

Quitting Smoking Before Cancer Surgery Best, Study Finds

Posted 25 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 25 – Cancer patients who smoked up until their surgery were more likely to take up the habit again compared to those who quit earlier, a new study finds. The study from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., included lung cancer and head and neck cancer patients who quit smoking before or immediately after surgery. They were followed for a year after the surgery. "Sixty percent of patients who smoked during the week prior to surgery resumed smoking afterward, contrasted with a 13 percent relapse rate for those who had quit smoking prior to surgery," study corresponding author Vani Nath Simmons said in a Moffitt news release. The significantly lower smoking relapse rate for those who quit smoking before surgery shows the need to encourage patients to quit smoking when they're diagnosed with cancer, the researchers said. The investigators also noted that most of the ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Cancer, Smoking, Smoking Cessation

Many Americans Back Nicotine Restrictions in Cigarettes: Survey

Posted 22 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 22 – Nearly half of Americans would support a government-mandated reduction of nicotine levels in cigarettes, according to a new study. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has the authority to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes, but has not yet used this power, according to researchers at the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at the Legacy Foundation. The new findings show that such a move would have the support of nearly 47 percent of U.S. adults. About 16 percent opposed such action, while nearly 38 percent had no opinion, according to the analysis of data from a June 2010 survey. "Nicotine reduction could be a promising tool to protect the population from the harm and death caused by tobacco products," study lead author Jennifer Pearson, a Schroeder Institute research investigator, said in a foundation news release. "This study shows us ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation

Page: 1 2 3 ... Next (165 results)

Ask a Question

Further Information

Related Condition Support Groups

Smoking

Related Drug Support Groups

Topamax, bupropion, clonidine, Chantix, nortriptyline, naltrexone, topiramate, nicotine, Zyban, view more... Pamelor, tryptophan, Nicorette, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol Inhaler, Commit, Champix, varenicline, Habitrol, Buproban, Topamax Sprinkle, Aminomine, Topiragen, Tryptan, Nicorelief, Catapres-TTS-1, Aventyl HCl, ProStep, Nicotrol NS