Smokers in Medical News

Is a society with smokers profitable?

The latest rise in the indirect taxation on tobacco and alcohol took place in June. The most popular brand of cigarettes went up in price from 3.10 euros to 3.30 euros per packet. Are these taxes a form of dissuasion or a way of compensating the rest of society for the harm generated by those who ...

Florida State Tobacco Tax Increase May Prompt Smokers to Quit Spontaneously

PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Florida state tobacco tax will increase by $1.00, the biggest of its kind in Florida history, to a total of $1.34 per pack, as part of the Protecting Florida's Health Act. The pressures of a higher price tag on cigarettes may prompt Florida smoke...

State Launches New Campaign to Help Pregnant Smokers Go Tobacco-Free

Pilot program kicks off in Northwestern PA HARRISBURG, Pa., June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to educate pregnant smokers about the harms of tobacco use on their unborn babies, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Northwestern Pennsylvania (NWPA) Tobacco Control Program...

Minnesota Smokers Turning to QUITPLAN(R) Services After Cigarette Tax Hike

Use of free quit-smoking services triples following 62-cent increase on cigarettes MINNEAPOLIS, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent federal tax increase on cigarettes has a lot of Minnesotans trying to quit smoking. QUITPLAN Services, the free stop-smoking program provided by ClearWay Minneso...

Pennsylvania Department of Health Helps Smokers Trying to Quit in Wake of Federal Cigarette Tax Hike

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To support the growing number of Pennsylvanians who are trying to quit smoking as a result of the recent increase in federal cigarette taxes, the Department of Health today reminded smokers to call Pennsylvania's toll-free Quitline or visit www....

Nicotine Replacement May Help Smokers Quit Gradually

But products' use in U.S. to help people cut back remains controversial,, FRIDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- For smokers who want to cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke, using nicotine replacement therapy not only helps them smoke less but makes it twice as likely that the...

Many Smokers Don't Tell Docs About Their Habit

And more than half aren't worrying about their health, survey finds THURSDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of smokers aren't fretting over their personal health, and almost a quarter of those who have health-care providers haven't discussed their tobacco use with that per...

Not Enough Smokers Find Quit Support at the Doctor's Office

National Survey Highlights Lack of Communication, Uneasiness and Limited Resources Create Missed Opportunities for Smokers to Quit WASHINGTON, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Health care providers (HCPs) are one of the most important allies a smoker can have, particularly when it comes to understand...

Newly Pregnant Smokers Have a 15-Week Window to Quit

Study shows those who do drop risk of premature birth, smaller babies THURSDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who quit smoking before the 15th week of pregnancy reduce their risk of premature birth and having small babies to that of nonsmoking women, a new study finds. ...

New Analysis: Light and Intermittent Smokers Overlooked in Traditional Tobacco Research

March Issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research Analyzes Trends, Impact of Light Cigarette Use WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To date, the majority of research conducted about tobacco use has been related to the impact of moderate to heavy smoking. The March 2009 issue of Nico...

Genes May Decide Which Smokers Get Lung Disease

Certain DNA could encourage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, research shows WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Genes may be the reason why one-quarter of smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the rest aren't afflicted with the serious breathing ...

Recession leads 1 in 3 Smokers to cut Down or Quit

LONDON, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- New research released to mark No Smoking Day (11 March) shows more than one in three (36%) of the nine million smokers in Great Britain are thinking about or planning to cut down or quit as a direct result of the economic downturn. The poll also shows t...

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare to Reach 85 Percent of the World's Smokers with Quit Aids

Experts convene at World Conference on Tobacco OR Health meeting to discuss reducing global tobacco use and accessibility to treatment options MUMBAI, India, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare today announced plans to increase the availability of their therapeut...

Young smokers increase risk for multiple sclerosis

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M., ET, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009 Media Contacts: Jenine Anderson, (651) 695-2789, janderson@aan.com Jay Mac Bride, (651) 695-2795, jmacbride@aan.com Young Smokers Increase Risk for Multiple Sclerosis SEATTLE People who start smoking before age 17 may i...

Social Class, Gender Won't Shield Smokers from Harm

Study finds affluent professionals, women had no survival advantage over others WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Affluent professionals who smoke have higher death rates than low-paid nonsmokers of the same sex, according to British researchers. They conclude that smoking may...

Smokeless Tobacco May Not Help Smokers Quit

Success in Sweden doesn't transfer to U.S., study finds THURSDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Cultural factors appear to influence whether smokeless tobacco can help smokers quit cigarettes, contends a new study. In Sweden, many smokers try to quit smoking by using snus, a form of ...

Promise of Cash Prompts Smokers to Quit

Financial incentives tripled rates of cessation, study found,,,, WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Offering hard, cold cash to smokers to spur them to stop their unhealthy habit helps more people give up cigarettes, new research finds. The study, published in the Feb. 12 issue ...

Today Show and American Legacy Foundation(R) Team Up to Help Smokers Call it Quits

Today Calls It Quits to Profile Three Parents as They Quit Smoking WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Legacy Foundation is collaborating with NBC's Today Show to help three parents quit smoking and motivate families nationwide to follow their lead. The three-part...

State's 'Be Free' Anti-Tobacco Campaign Lends Smokers a Helping Hand

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Department of Health's Tobacco Free Florida campaign is lending a helping hand to the 28,000 Floridians who smoke to quit -- for good. Free cessation aids are available from the Florida Quitline (1-877-U-CAN-NOW) in the form of counseling a...

New findings shed light on why smokers struggle to quit

DURHAM, NC Just seeing someone smoke can trigger smokers to abandon their nascent efforts to kick the habit, according to new research conducted at Duke University Medical Center. Brain scans taken during normal smoking activity and 24 hours after quitting show there is a marked increase in a ...

New Research May Encourage Smokers to Jump-Start Their New Year's Resolution to Quit Smoking

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- While New Year's is the most popular time to try quitting smoking, research shows the majority of smokers who try to quit at that time resume smoking in less than one week.(1) By starting a quit attempt early, smokers can avoid the pressures of a New Year's reso...

Women Smokers Lose 14.5 Years Off Life Span

November is lung cancer awareness month, and doctors urge everyone to kick the habit THURSDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- During Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, female smokers should take advantage of available resources, pick a quit day, and start taking steps toward kickin...

Today's Smokers More Addicted to Nicotine

The less-hooked may have already quit, leaving 'hard-core' group behind, experts say TUESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 75 percent of current smokers trying to kick the habit are now highly nicotine-dependent, which is a 15-year high, a new study finds. In fact, nicotine d...

Intensive support programs can help hospitalized smokers stay smoke-free

Hospital-sponsored stop-smoking programs for inpatients that include follow-up counseling for longer than one month significantly improve patients' ability to stay smoke-free. An analysis of clinical trials of programs offered at hospitals around the world finds that efforts featuring long-term s...

Study Probes Why Smokers Find It Hard to Quit

When not in a state of craving, they may underestimate intensity of future urge to light up TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- If you're not craving a hit of nicotine the moment you declare you are quitting smoking, your battle just got a little tougher, say researchers at the Univer...

Recent Safety News About Smoking Cessation Therapies Leaving Smokers Confused, More Reluctant to Quit

New data indicates smokers may avoid medication when quitting PITTSBURGH, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been recent news regarding the safety of a prescription smoking cessation therapy. A new survey found that this news has raised safety concerns and caused confusion among a signific...

In Smoke-Free Minnesota, Five Former Smokers Share Their Struggles With Fighting Addiction

ClearWay Minnesota(SM) exhibit shares inspiring stories of Minnesotans who struggled to quit MINNEAPOLIS, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- In smoke-free Minnesota, five Minnesotans who personally struggled to go smoke-free are sharing their stories, from the time they started s...

PA State Health Officials Encourage Smokers to Quit on 'World No Tobacco Day'

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health today urged smokers to quit as part of the May 31 observance of "World No Tobacco Day," which is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. "Exposure to secondhand smoke causes diseas...

Nicotine Replacement Therapy Is Safe, Effective and Can Help Reverse Mental Acuity Deficits in Smokers Who Are Quitting, Including Commercial and Private Pilots

Commit 4 mg Lozenge helps reverse symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal including difficulty concentrating, attention deficit, memory deficit and selective attention deficit PITTSBURGH, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In light of today's announcement by the Federal A...

New Guidelines Show Smokers Have More Tools to Quit Than Ever, But Elected Officials Must Do More to Help

WASHINGTON, May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by William V. Corr, Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: The guidelines for smoking cessation released today by the U.S. Public Health Service provide an important reminder to the nation's 45 million s...

New Evidence Provides Clinicians With Better Tools to Help Smokers Quit

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An updated clinical practice guideline released today by the U.S. Public Health Service has identified new counseling and medication treatments that are effective for helping people quit smoking. In addition, the May 7 issue of JAMA includes a c...

Better-Educated Smokers More Likely to Quit After Seeing Ads

Study finds 65% with college degree made attempt, but economic status also plays role THURSDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- TV ads that promote quitting smoking are more likely to have an impact on better-educated smokers, while warnings about the dangers of secondhand smoke have a sim...

Genetic variations raise lung cancer risk for smokers and ex-smokers

HOUSTON - Two common inherited genetic variations are associated with increased risk of lung cancer for smokers and former smokers, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports April 2 in the online edition of Nature Genetics. "This is the fi...

New National Public Health Program Shows Smokers How to Become an EX

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An unprecedented new public health campaign created by an alliance of national organizations and state health agencies was launched today in Washington, DC. The program, called EX(R), will change the way smokers think about the difficult process ...

Older Smokers More Likely to Deny Habit

Findings challenge validity of self-reported tobacco use in research, care THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Older smokers are more likely than younger ones to deny they smoke when asked about it by doctors and others. That's the conclusion of a study that analyzed data on 15,18...

Number of Russian women smokers has doubled since Soviet collapse

The number of Russian women who smoke has more than doubled since the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to new research. In 1992, seven per cent of women smoked, compared to almost 15 per cent by 2003. In the same period, the number of men who smoke has risen from 57 per cent to 63 per ce...

Famed Attorney Willie Gary Files $10.6 Billion in Lawsuits against Big Tobacco Companies on Behalf of Florida Smokers and their Families

Clients Suffering from Smoking-Related Illnesses Fight Back against Big Tobacco Companies STUART, Fla., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominent trial attorney, Willie Gary, along with partners, CK Hoffler, Donald Watson and team of the Florida- based law firm of Gary, Willi...

California Dental Hygienists Urge Smokers to Kick the Habit in 2008

Free Smokers' Helpline Available to Make New Year Smoke-Free GLENDALE, Calif., Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In anticipation of the season for making New Year's resolutions, California Dental Hygienists' Association (CDHA) is calling on smokers to resolve to quit in 2008 by taking a s...

HealthCentral.com's New Stop Smoking Site Provides Expert Advice, Supportive Community to Help Smokers Quit

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (http://www.HealthCentral.com ) today announced the launch of StopSmokingConnection.com, a website dedicated to helping smokers successfully quit. The site provides expert advice, reliable medical information a...

FSU researcher lands $3.3 million grant to help smokers kick habit

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A Florida State University professor will share a $3.3 million federal grant with a colleague from the University of Vermont to develop an innovative method that will help smokers with anxiety disorders extinguish the habit. FSU psychology Professor Brad Schmidt and UVM psy...