Teens are more likely to quit smoking if they receive telephone counseling, according to new research.
A telephone-counseling program was created by researchers, 2,000 smokers from 50 Washington state high schools were recruited to test the program. Once they had received parent permission, researchers began testing at 25 of the high schools.
The students took part in a follow-up survey about a year later. In comparison to 18% of smokers who did not participate in the program, 22% of students said they did not smoke for six months. The program also seemed to extend the period of time a student was able to go without a cigarette. The authors say that this research project is the first of its kind, reporting a statistically significant difference in quit rates over a one-year period.
More research projects ought to be done like this as teenage smoking is the root of the problem, and the earlier someone is prevented from being a smoker, the less likely it is to become an ongoing problem…
[Via: health.usnews.com]
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According to a new British study the smoking cessation drug varenciline (Chantix) does not increase the risk of suicidal tendencies or depression.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently mandated that a "black box warning" be carried by the drug's packaging, which would indicate to users that by using the drug they were at risk of experiencing "serious neuropsychiatric symptoms." This includes changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior as well as attempted suicide.
In this study, 660 men and women aged 18 to 95, who had been prescribed a product to aid smoking cessation between September 2006 and May 2008. Prescriptions included vareniciline, the antidepressant bupropion (Zyban) or nicotine replacement products, like patch, inhaler, gum, tablet or lozenge. Patients were followed over the period they were on the prescription and three months after they were off the last prescription.
The study reported that there was no clear evidence to show that varenicline or bupropion increased self-harm, suicidal thoughts or depression. But the researchers did add that "the limited power of the study means we cannot rule out either a halving or a two-fold increased risk."
Leaving the hopeful quitter without any real answer, it would be wonderful if there truly was a drug that could help smokers quit, or at least make the battle easier. Smokers should be given more information about smoking cessation than on the dangers of smoking, because this is what is truly productive.
[Via: ajc.com]
As a reminder to the rest of us, Prince Harry has shown that he is just as human as any other smoker. He was recently reported to have turned to a hypnotist in his desperation to quit smoking.
Prince apparently smoked about 20 cigarettes a day before he managed to quit for about a year. However, he was recently spotted puffing away at a friend's wedding. Now he is hopping Paul McKenna's "Quit Smoking Now" will help him quit.
The book has become a national bestseller, and Harry was given a copy of it by his friend, and he thinks this will truly help him quit.
There are even rumors that the hypnotist himself would help Harry quit if he wanted. Guy Ritchie and Rolling Stone star Ronnie Wood are some other celebrities that have managed to quit with the help of this book.
[Via: indiatimes.com]
The Michigan Department of Community Health in Michigan has confirmed rumors that free nicotine patches and smoking cessation will be made available for smokers who want to drop the habit.
London Bell, health and human services coordinator says, "It's our hope that by having these services available, people who might not normally be able to afford nicotine patches, will take advantage of this free service and take charge of their health."
Smoking quit kits that will also be available include a piece of candy, a wristband, quit smoking tips and referrals to the Michigan Tobacco Quit Line.
This is the type of action that should be taking place throughout the country and worldwide. If smoking is to become such a taboo and a difficult habit to live with, smokers should be given the opportunity to quit without having to spend a fortune.
[Via: hometownlife.com]
In Britain, a lot of money has been put into smoking cessation services, but the number of people making use of them has not increased. Officials feel that helping smokers has become more difficult and that doing something to help these services would just be a waste of money.
Out of the 671,259 people who had set themselves a quit date in one program, only half managed to stay off cigarettes for more than four weeks.
Nearly 21 percent more money was spent on stop services in 2008/2009 than in the previous year, while there was a 1 percent drop in the number of people using the services.
Thousands of dollars are spent on banning smoking, and there are fewer smokers than there were in the past, and it cannot be expected for numbers to increase. If money is being spent on banning tobacco the same should be done for helping smokers quit… but only if they want to quit. It should be a choice, after all.
[Via: Telegraph.co.uk]
