http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/smoking/ Latest research on the addiction to smoking, and overcoming it. How both genetics and close personal relationships play a role in smoking. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/smoking/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132547.htm Mark Twain said, "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times." Many smokers would agree that it's difficult to stay away from cigarettes. A new study now suggests that low dopamine levels that occur as a result of withdrawal from smoking actually promote the relapse to smoking. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184605.htm Quitting smoking is never easy. However, when you're poor and uneducated, kicking the habit for good is doubly hard, according to a new study. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193220.htm A large population-based study in Sweden indicates that there is no link between smoking during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211815.htm Using a nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, according to a new study. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214125906.htm Cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the Monitoring the Future survey began polling teenagers in 1975, according to this year's survey results. However, this positive news is tempered by a slowing rate of decline in teen smoking as well as continued high rates of abuse of other tobacco products (e.g., hookahs, small cigars, smokeless tobacco), marijuana and prescription drugs. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214125906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213120833.htm Life without cigarettes is not all doom and gloom. In fact, successful quitters are more satisfied with their lives and feel healthier, both one year and three years afterwards, than those who continue to smoke. That's according to new research by Dr. Megan Piper, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the US, and her team. Their work looks at whether quitting smoking can improve psychological well-being. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213120833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128182428.htm Nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation intervention programs are associated with positive outcomes among current smokers, according to new studies. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128182428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190400.htm Cigarettes and alcohol serve as gateway drugs, which people use before progressing to the use of marijuana, cocaine and other illicit substances; this progression is called the "gateway sequence" of drug use. Latest findings provide the first molecular explanation for the gateway sequence. They show that nicotine causes specific changes in the brain that make it more vulnerable to cocaine addiction -- a discovery made by using a novel mouse model. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190026.htm The poor safety profile of the smoking-cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) makes it unsuitable for first-line use, according to a new study. Varenicline, which already carries a "black box warning" from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, showed a substantially increased risk of reported depression or suicidal behavior compared to other smoking-cessation treatments, according to researchers. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161259.htm A landmark study in mice identifies a biological mechanism that could help explain how tobacco products could act as gateway drugs, increasing a person's future likelihood of abusing cocaine and perhaps other drugs as well, according to researchers. The study is the first to show that nicotine might prime the brain to enhance the behavioral effects of cocaine. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031115229.htm Targeted brain stimulation increases cigarette cravings, a new study has found, which may lead to new treatments. Cues such as watching someone else smoke, elicit craving and may provoke relapse. There are many methods that smokers use in an attempt to reduce their craving for cigarettes, including efficacious pharmacologic treatments such as nicotine patches, hypnosis and acupuncture. Scientists have long suspected that these diverse approaches might work through the reduction of activity in a brain circuit that is responsible for cigarette craving. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031115229.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026162659.htm Uh oh. Here comes temptation -- for a dieter, it's a sweet treat; an alcoholic, a beer; a married man, an attractive, available woman. How to defeat the impulse to gratify desire and stick to your long-term goals of slimness, sobriety, or fidelity? Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026162659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024122959.htm Previous depression, daily smoking and a lack of control over life circumstances -- or "low mastery" -- are risk factors for repeat episodes of depression, a new article finds. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024122959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010074853.htm Young people who are genetically vulnerable to depression should be extra careful about using cannabis: smoking cannabis leads to an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms, according to a new study carried out by researchers in the Netherlands. Two-thirds of the population have the gene variant that makes one sensitive to depression. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010074853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080411.htm Not only are smokers twice as likely to have strokes, they are almost a decade younger than non-smokers when they have them, according to a study. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920095253.htm Giving up smoking isn't just good for your health, it's also good for your memory, according to new research. Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920095253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914122700.htm Smoking bans have become more common on university campuses, but do they work? Do they help reduce smoking in this newly independent age group? According to a new study by tobacco control and health behavior experts, they do. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914122700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914100540.htm While electronic cigarettes may be a long-term alternative to the real thing for some smokers, researchers suggest medical providers should continue to encourage more traditional smoking cessation methods. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914100540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912152915.htm Researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912152915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110905074615.htm Children who live in households where they are exposed to tobacco smoke miss more days of school than do children living in smoke-free homes, a new U.S. nationwide study confirms. The report finds these children have higher rates of respiratory illnesses that can be caused by second-hand smoke and details the probable economic costs of their increased school absence. Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110905074615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180514.htm State governments, including California as well as others in Canada and the United Kingdom, pour hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into major motion pictures that depict smoking -- leading to thousands of new teen smokers every year, a University of California, San Francisco, researcher has found. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180510.htm Governments in the UK, US and Canada are undermining tobacco prevention campaigns by subsidizing top-grossing US films that contain smoking, a report by public health researchers says. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822121721.htm Researchers have found that using a combination of disturbing images and threatening messages to prevent smoking is not effective and could potentially cause an unexpected reaction. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822121721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822111740.htm In one of the largest studies of its kind to date, researchers have found that babies born to mothers who smoke while pregnant face substantial delays in early neurological development, and the effects may be stronger than researchers had previously thought. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822111740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802113318.htm Heavy smokers may experience sadness after quitting because early withdrawal leads to an increase in the mood-related brain protein monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), a new study has shown. This finding may also explain why heavy smokers are at high risk for clinical depression. Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802113318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801172637.htm Findings from a brain imaging study may provide clues for why some individuals with heavy cigarette-smoking habits experience depressed mood upon withdrawal from smoking, according to a new study., Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801172637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801111738.htm If you've ever wondered if nicotine offered society any benefit, a new study offers a surprising answer. Nicotine can protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, the research suggests, and the discovery of how nicotine does this may lead to entirely new types of treatments for the disease. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801111738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801094704.htm Tobacco related disease is a primary source of mortality for African American men. Recent studies suggest that "alternative" tobacco products may have supplanted cigarettes as the most common products used by young African Americans, according to new research. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801094704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110726190111.htm Removing a protein from cells located in the brain's reward center blocks the anxiety-reducing and rewarding effects of nicotine, according to a new animal study. The findings may help researchers better understand how nicotine affects the brain. Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110726190111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720210702.htm Devices marketed as "electronic cigarettes" are in reality crude drug delivery systems for refined nicotine, posing unknown risks with little new benefits to smokers, according to tobacco control experts. In a new article, researchers explore the current regulatory climate around "e-cigarettes" and their safety. They also question future implications for physicians, policy makers and e-cigarette users. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:07:07 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720210702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713121258.htm Raising taxes on cigarettes, a public health measure used by governments to encourage people to quit, doesn't motivate all smokers to stop the deadly habit. Research on the long-term impact of taxing cigarettes found higher taxes do prompt low-and middle-income earners to quit. Yet price increases don't persuade wealthier smokers or those aged 25 to 44 to butt out. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713121258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712093620.htm Researchers have found clear changes in how emotions are processed in smokers. After an abstinence period of 12 hours, the brain's fear center was mostly out of commission in addicts. The researchers assume that a campaign using images of smokers' lungs as deterrents on cigarette packs -- as both the US and EU are currently planning -- will hardly have an effect on this group. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712093620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110704123239.htm You might think that you will gain weight if you quit smoking. But it’s not that simple. Research from Sweden shows that smoking doesn’t help you get thinner. Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110704123239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629203027.htm Cell phones could hold the key to people giving up smoking after a program involving sending motivational and supportive text messages to smokers doubled quit rates at six months. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629203027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621074344.htm In Australia adult-focused quit-smoking programs have produced an additional benefit: they have also reduced smoking among adolescents. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 07:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621074344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110613103948.htm Exposure to secondhand smoke can create symptoms of nicotine dependence in non-smoking preteens, according to a new study. The study also found that tweens who repeatedly observe a parent, sibling, friend or neighbor consuming cigarettes are more likely to light up themselves as adolescents. Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110613103948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110613093506.htm The latest survey of Ontario adults shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110613093506.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610164630.htm Proactive telephone counseling helps smokers quit regardless of how they are recruited to a telephone quitline, according to a new study. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610164630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609151535.htm A new study uncovers a brain mechanism that could be targeted for new medications designed to help people quit smoking without gaining weight. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609151535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609141539.htm Smokers tend to die young, but they tend to die thinner than non-smokers. A team of scientists has discovered exactly how nicotine suppresses appetite -- findings that suggest that it might be possible to develop a drug that would help smokers, and non-smokers, stay thin. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609141539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603075929.htm Latinos looking to quit smoking are more successful when they have a significant other and partner support, say researchers. According to their study, this support can also buffer the demonstrated negative effect that depression can have on smoking cessation. Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603075929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527080320.htm Where you live, how old you are and whether you're male or female all affect your chances of giving up smoking. These are the findings of a study which suggests that while NHS stop smoking services are effective in supporting some smokers to quit there are significant differences in the longer term success rates for specific groups who are trying to give up smoking. Fri, 27 May 2011 08:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527080320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509122718.htm Aboriginal-youth living off-reserve in Canada use tobacco, alcohol and drugs significantly more than non-Aboriginal youth and have higher health risks, according to a new article. Mon, 09 May 2011 12:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509122718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505181543.htm When a new tobacco-free policy was instituted at an Ohio women's substance abuse treatment center, both smokers and non-smokers were more likely to leave treatment early in the first few months after the policy change, a new study found. The results don't mean treatment centers shouldn't try smoking bans, according to the researchers, but they do highlight the challenges involved with implementing a new policy that goes against years of conventional thinking. Thu, 05 May 2011 18:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505181543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110503171745.htm The effects of nicotine upon brain regions involved in addiction mirror those of cocaine, according to new neuroscience research. A single 15-minute exposure to nicotine caused a long-term increase in the excitability of neurons involved in reward, according to a new study. Tue, 03 May 2011 17:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110503171745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502174226.htm Exposure to secondhand smoke, such as a person can get by riding in an enclosed car while someone else smokes, has a direct, measurable impact on the brain -- and the effect is similar to what happens in the brain of the person doing the smoking. In fact, exposure to this secondhand smoke evokes cravings among smokers, according to a new study. Mon, 02 May 2011 17:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502174226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502083444.htm A study finds parents shouldn't let up when it comes to discouraging their kids from smoking. Mon, 02 May 2011 08:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502083444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110426102428.htm A new study compares former smokers to current smokers, and obtains insight into how to quit smoking might be discovered by studying the brains of those who have successfully managed to do so. Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110426102428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412065802.htm Despite current prohibitions on the words 'light' and 'mild', smokers in Western countries continue falsely to believe that some cigarette brands may be less harmful than others. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412065802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110406131816.htm The ability to refuse smoking is related to non-smoking in minority youths, a new study shows. Effective strategies to combat youth smoking include teaching refusal skills and training for responding to family members' and friends' smoking. Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110406131816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405113022.htm Despite a growing number of cities instituting smoking bans across the country, hookah bars are cropping up everywhere -- from chic downtown cafes to locations near college campuses, where they've found a loyal customer base in young adults. A new study sheds light on the increasingly popular pastime, and the results are discouraging. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405113022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331080035.htm There is growing evidence that the risk factors for addiction change throughout the lifespan. The risk factors for developing addiction in adolescence are the most intensively studied because this life phase is associated with the highest addiction risk. Traits linked to addiction risk during adolescence include pleasure-seeking, behavioral disinhibition, and devaluation of the future negative consequences of behavior. In contrast, the development of substance use among adults is more commonly associated with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331080035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110330111359.htm New research suggests that being diagnosed with asthma is significantly associated with a greater risk for a lifetime history of daily smoking and nicotine dependence. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110330111359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110327191036.htm Scientists report the first strong evidence implicating nicotine as the main culprit responsible for persistently elevated blood sugar levels -- and the resulting increased risk of serious health complications -- in people who have diabetes and smoke. The discovery also may have implications for people with diabetes who are using nicotine-replacement therapy for extended periods in an attempt to stop smoking. Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:10:10 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110327191036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321093839.htm New research has revealed that prenatal exposure to nicotine increases the vulnerability to nicotine self-administration in adolescent mice. The results support the hypothesis that adolescents with prenatal nicotine exposure are more likely to start smoking earlier than their peers and that they are also more susceptible to the addictive effects of nicotine, especially as a result of stress and peer pressure. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321093839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101541.htm New studies have isolated the brain regions most active in controlling urges to smoke and demonstrated the effectiveness of text-messaging to measure and intervene in those urges. Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101459.htm Researchers report that residential treatment for tobacco dependence among heavy smokers greatly improves the odds of abstinence at six months compared with standard outpatient treatment. The study reports that 52 percent of the patients were still not smoking six months after residential treatment, compared with 26 percent in the outpatient treatment setting. Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302152820.htm In a study comparing teenage smokers and non-smokers, researchers found that the greater a teen's addiction to nicotine, the less active an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex (PFC) became. The PFC guides "executive functions" like decision-making, and is an area that is still developing structurally and functionally in adolescents. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302152820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228104320.htm People who demonstrated a stronger brain response to certain brain regions when receiving individually tailored smoking cessation messages were more likely to quit smoking four months after, a new study found. Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228104320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209164009.htm Nicotine addiction usually begins during the critical teenage years, and pediatric health-care professionals can play a prominent role in promoting a tobacco-free lifestyle among children and adolescents, as described in a new article. Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209164009.htm