ScienceDaily: Smoking Addiction News

Addiction as a disorder of decision-making

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:58:58 EDT

New research shows that craving drugs such as nicotine can be visualized in specific regions of the brain that are implicated in determining the value of actions, in planning actions and in motivation. Researchers suggest abnormal interactions between these decision-making brain regions could underlie addiction.

Individuals who drink heavily and smoke may show 'early aging' of the brain

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:34:34 EDT

Alcohol treatment interventions work best when patients understand and are actively involved in the process. A first-of-its-kind study looks at the interactive effects of smoking status and age on neurocognition in one-month-abstinent alcohol dependent (AD) individuals in treatment. Results show that AD individuals who currently smoke have more problems with memory, ability to think quickly and efficiently, and problem-solving skills than those who do not smoke, effects which seem to become greater with increasing age.

Could eating peppers prevent Parkinson's? Dietary nicotine may hold protective key

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:12:12 EDT

New research reveals that Solanaceae -- a flowering plant family with some species producing foods that are edible sources of nicotine -- may provide a protective effect against Parkinson's disease. The study suggests that eating foods that contain even a small amount of nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce risk of developing Parkinson's.

Increases in heart disease risk factors may decrease brain function

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

Increases in heart disease risk factors may decrease brain function. The association between the two was noted in young and middle-age adults as well as the elderly. Smoking and diabetes were especially linked with reduced brain function.

Smoking prevention in schools: Does it work?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:09:09 EDT

Smoking prevention in schools reduces the number of young people who will later become smokers, according to a new systematic review. For young people who have never smoked, these programs appear to be effective at least one year after implementation.

Early dialogue between parents, children stems teen smoking

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

Early, substantive dialogue between parents and their grade-school age children about the ills of tobacco and alcohol use can be more powerful in shaping teen behavior than advertising, marketing or peer pressure, a researcher has shown.

Stimulating the brain blunts cigarette craving

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:51:51 EDT

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths globally. Unfortunately smoking cessation is difficult, with more than 90% of attempts to quit resulting in relapse.

Teenage smoking behavior influenced by friends' and parents' smoking habits

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:24:24 EDT

The company you keep in junior high school may have more influence on your smoking behavior than your high school friends, according to newly published research.

Anti-smoking drug improves smokers' chances of stopping, study finds

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:58:58 EDT

Varenicline reduces depressive mood, craving and reward value of cigarettes when smokers attempt to quit

Genetics might determine which smokers get hooked

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may accelerate a teen's progression to becoming a lifelong heavy smoker.

Adults with mental illness or substance use disorder more likely to smoke

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Adults aged 18 or older who experienced any mental illness or who have had a substance use disorder in the past year are more likely to smoke and to smoke more heavily than others, according to a new report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Spine patients who quit smoking report diminished pain

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:14:14 EDT

Smoking is a known risk factor for back pain and disc disease. In a new study, researchers reviewed smoking cessation rates and related pain in 6,779 patients undergoing treatment for spinal disorders with severe axial (spine) or radicular (leg) pain. Information on each patient's age, gender, weight, smoking history, assessment of pain, treatment type and co-morbid depression also were assessed.

Cigarette relighting tied to tough economy

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:47:47 EDT

In what is believed to be a first of its kind study, researchers have found that a trend of smokers relighting cigarettes is related to economic factors, and the practice has implications for tobacco dependence treatment and policy.

Depression in kids linked to cardiac risks in teens

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:26:26 EDT

Teens who were depressed as children are far more likely than their peers to be obese, smoke cigarettes and lead sedentary lives, even if they no longer suffer from depression. The research suggests that depression, even in children, can increase the risk of heart problems later in life.

Kids exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time UK TV

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:11:11 EDT

UK children are being exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time television, indicates new research.

Smoking cessation in old age: Less heart attacks and strokes within five years

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:34:34 EST

Smokers increase their risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke with every cigarette they smoke. Conversely, those who quit smoking even at an advanced age will have a considerable decrease in their risk after a very short time.

Nicotine lozenges, tobacco-free snuff help smokeless tobacco users quit

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:13:13 EST

Smokeless tobacco users who said they didn't want to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a new study.

California's Tobacco Control Program generates huge health care savings, study shows

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:31:31 EST

Over a span of nearly 20 years, California's tobacco control program cost $2.4 billion and reduced health care costs by $134 billion, according to a new study.

Alcohol consumption may be in response to smoking cessation

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:07:07 EST

New findings may help identify situations in which smokers who are trying to quit are at a higher risk of relapse.

Researchers to study how young adults use e-cigarettes, snus

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:08:08 EST

Researchers are studying how young adults use hookahs, snus, electronic cigarettes, and other new tobacco products.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

Plain packaging of tobacco products would cut smoking, experts say

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:53:53 EST

Experts believe that plain packaging of tobacco products would cut smoking, a new study has found. Tobacco control experts from around the world estimate that two years after the introduction of generic packaging the number of adult smokers would be reduced by one percentage point (in the UK, 21 to 20 percent), and the percentage of children trying smoking would be reduced by three percentage points (in the UK, 27 to 24 percent).

Graphic warnings on cigarettes effective across demographic groups

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:20:20 EST

New research suggests hard-hitting graphic tobacco warnings may help smokers of diverse backgrounds who are struggling to quit smoking. A new study provides further evidence that bold pictorial cigarette warning labels that visually depict the health consequences of smoking -- such as those required under the 2009 Family Smoking and Prevention Tobacco Control Act -- play a life-saving role in highlighting the dangers of smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.

Passive smoking increases risk of severe dementia, according to study in China

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have found a link between passive smoking and syndromes of dementia. The study of nearly 6,000 people in five provinces in China reveals that people exposed to passive smoking have a significantly increased risk of severe dementia syndromes.

Patients with severe back pain who quit smoking report less pain than patients who continue to smoke

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:24:24 EST

For years, research has shown a link between smoking and an increased risk for low back pain, intervertebral (spine) disc disease, and inferior patient outcomes following surgery. A new study also found that smokers suffering from spinal disorders and related back pain, reported greater discomfort than spinal disorder patients who stopped smoking during an eight-month treatment period.

Smoking may worsen hangover after heavy drinking

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:43:43 EST

People who like to smoke when they drink may be at greater risk of suffering a hangover the next morning, according to a study in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Second-hand smoke linked to children's behavior problems

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:18:18 EST

It is a known fact that active maternal smoking during pregnancy has negative effects on child health, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, new research suggests that second hand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), may be just as harmful.

As cigarette taxes go up, heavy smoking goes down

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:47:47 EST

When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research.

Just ten minutes in a car with a smoker boosts harmful pollutants by up to thirty percent

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:03:03 EST

Just ten minutes spent in the back seat of a car with a smoker in the front, boosts a child's daily exposure to harmful pollutants by up to 30 percent, reveals new research.

Adolescents with low status among peers are more likely to become adult smokers

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:50:50 EST

A new study reveals that having low peer status in adolescence is a strong risk factor for regular and heavy smoking in adulthood.

Smoking in pregnancy tied to lower reading scores

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:37:37 EST

Researchers have found that children born to mothers who smoked more than one pack per day during pregnancy struggled on tests designed to measure how accurately a child reads aloud and comprehends what they read.

Can't stop? Smoking less helps

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:06:06 EST

Researchers found that while quitters had the biggest improvements in mortality rates, even those who reduced their smoking were able to cut their mortality risk by 15 percent. These results show that smoking less is a valid risk reduction strategy.

Kicking the habit: New research examines the barriers to quitting smoking for smokers with asthma

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:29:29 EST

A new study examines how anxiety sensitivity can thwart the efforts of smokers with asthma to quit smoking.

Mobile phone services help smokers quit

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:49:49 EST

Support for quitting smoking via text and video messages can help smokers kick the habit according to a new review. The authors of the review found that people were more likely to stay away from cigarettes over a six month period if they received motivational messages and advice to their mobile phones.

Pictures effective in warning against cigarette smoking

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:36:36 EST

Health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette packages that use pictures to show the health consequences of smoking are effective in reaching adult smokers, according to the results of a new study. New research shows which kind of pictures appears to work best among adult smokers in the U.S., including smokers from disadvantaged groups where smoking rates are highest.

Why nicotine in cigarettes can relieve anxiety in smokers

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:17:17 EST

Preclinical data suggests inactivation of a specific sub-class of nicotinic receptors may be an effective strategy to help smokers quit without feeling anxious, according to researchers.

Smoking and hyperactivity share common genetic risk factor

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:52:52 EDT

A variation of a particular gene may link the behaviors typical of childhood attention hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, and those associated with smoking, suggests new research.

Stroke survivors who smoke raise risk of more strokes, heart attack, death

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:17:17 EDT

Stroke survivors who smoke put themselves at a greater risk of additional strokes, heart attack or death than those who never smoked, according to new research.

Helping ex-smokers resist the urge

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:28:28 EDT

A new study may provide a powerful new way to reduce relapses in people who have quit smoking or chewing tobacco.

Team support for cessation in the workplace helped motivate cigarette smokers to quit

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:19:19 EDT

When smoking co-workers in the same team are placed on a cessation program, providing financial incentives to the team collectively in return for success of the smokers in the cessation program helped the smokers to quit smoking and remain abstinent for 12 months, according to new research.

Many options available to help smokers kick the habit

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:31:31 EDT

Smokers who have tried to quit and failed may be tempted to just give up, particularly if they hear statistics like the fact that most quit attempts will be unsuccessful. But smokers today have many options to help them quit, and those who think they have "tried it all" usually have not, according to a new article.

Veterans are at higher risk of alcohol abuse relapse due to smoking

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:18:18 EDT

In a new study published in Frontiers, Dr. Timothy Durazzo and colleagues from the San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, expand upon their decade of research showing that smoking while kicking the alcohol habit impairs memory, learning and other cognitive skills--ultimately making it more difficult to weather the long storm of sobriety.

Graphic anti-smoking ads increase attempts to quit

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:24:24 EDT

Graphic and/or emotional television anti-smoking ads get more smokers to try to quit than less intense ads, according to a new study.

The fight against tobacco can reinforce social inequalities in smoking

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:34:34 EDT

Interventions with young people insufficiently address the social factors of smoking.

Smoking clouds the brain after stroke: Memory, thinking, decision-making affected by tobacco use

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:27:27 EDT

A study of stroke patients from Southern Ontario found those who smoke have more difficulty with problem-solving and decision-making than non-smokers.

Smoking in movies increases in 2011, reverses five years of progress

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:36:36 EDT

Top box office films last year showed more onscreen smoking than the prior year, reversing five years of steady progress in reducing tobacco imagery in movies, according to a new study.

Smoking relapse prevention a healthy step for new mothers, babies, researchers say

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:42:42 EDT

Researchers concerned that women who quit smoking during their pregnancies often resume smoking after they deliver their baby, tested self-help interventions designed to prevent postpartum smoking relapse.

Long-term study of cigarette and waterpipe tobacco smoking shows knowledge gap in perceived health risks

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:43:43 EDT

People who smoke both cigarettes and waterpipes -- dual users -- lack sufficient knowledge about the risks of tobacco smoking and are at considerable risk for dependence and tobacco-related diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke later in life, according to findings of a new study by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Second-hand smoking affects neurodevelopment in babies

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:06:06 EDT

A new study shows that newborns that have been exposed to cigarette smoke from both active and passive-smoking mothers show poor physiological, sensory, motor and attention responses.

Smoking abstinence tough for teens, too

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:16:16 EDT

A new study finds that relatively early into tobacco addiction, teens experience many of the same negative psychological effects during abstinence as adults do, with a couple exceptions. The data can inform efforts to improve the efficacy of quitting and withdrawal treatment programs.

How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:53:53 EDT

Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes. A new study shows that people with genetically fast nicotine metabolism have a significantly greater brain response to smoking cues than those with slow nicotine metabolism.

Second-hand smoking damages memory

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:13:13 EDT

Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research.

Popular kids in U.S. and Mexico more likely to smoke, studies show

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:42:42 EDT

New research finds that popular students in seven Southern California high schools are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their less popular counterparts. The study confirms trends observed in previous studies of students in the sixth through 12th grades across the United States and in Mexico.

Smokers who value the future are more likely to quit

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:37:37 EDT

Addiction researchers have known for many years that smokers are less likely than non-smokers to look to the future in planning their lives. New research has now shown that among smokers, those who have more of a future orientation are more likely to stop smoking.

Smoking and natural disasters: Christchurch residents increase tobacco consumption post-earthquake

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:08:08 EDT

The prevalence of smoking in Christchurch, New Zealand, increased following the 2010 earthquake, according to a new study.

Prenatal maternal smoking associated with increased risk of adolescent obesity

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:11:11 EDT

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking appears associated with an increased risk for adolescent obesity, and is possibly related to subtle structural variations in the brain that create a preference for eating fatty foods.

Plain packaging reduces the appeal of smoking

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:10:10 EDT

While Australia has recently passed legislation to ban logos from cigarette packages and to make plain packaging mandatory, other countries are still considering whether or not to take similar measures. New research provides a report on the appeal of plain cigarette packs, compared to branded packs, among women in Brazil, and finds that plain packs reduce the appeal of their contents.

Smokers more than double their risk of burst aneurysm

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:52:52 EDT

Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of a potentially fatal brain bleed as a result of a burst aneurysm, new research finds.

Smoking after stroke increases death risk three-fold, researchers find

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:49:49 EDT

Patients who resume smoking after a stroke increase their risk of death by three-fold, according to new research. The researchers also found that the earlier patients resume smoking, the greater their risk of death with one year.

Plain packaging of cigarettes encourages young smokers to heed health warnings

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:42:42 EDT

New research shows that plain packaging (requiring cigarettes to be packaged in standard packages without attractive designs and imagery) may help to draw the attention of some adolescent smokers to the health warnings on the package. If so, this may in turn deter young smokers from continuing to smoke.