12/29/2008 N.Y. Times: Lessons for Other Smokers in Obama’s Efforts to Quit
Will one of President-elect Barack Obama’s New Year’s resolutions be to quit smoking once and for all? ¶ Barack Obama has reportedly tried to quit several times. ¶ His good-humored waffling in various interviews about smoking made it plain that Mr. Obama, like many who have vowed to quit at this time of year, had not truly done so. ¶ He told Tom Brokaw of NBC several weeks ago, for example, that he “had stopped” but that “there are times where I’ve fallen off the wagon.” He promised to obey the no-smoking rules in the White House, but whether that meant he would be ducking out the back door for a smoke is not known. His transition team declined to answer any questions about his smoking, past or present, or his efforts to quit. ¶ Antismoking activists would love to see him use his bully pulpit to inspire others to join him in trying to kick the habit, but he has not yet taken up their cause.
11/14/2008 Center for Disease Control, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly: Cigarette Smoking Among Adults — United States, 2007
Cigarette smoking has declined during the past 40 years among all sociodemographic subpopulations of adults; however, the declines during the past decade have been smaller than in previous decades. The proportion of current everyday smokers who made a quit attempt during the preceding year decreased 7.2 percentage points from 1993 (47.0%) to 2007 (39.8%). During 1993–2007, young adults (aged 18–24 years) consistently had the highest prevalence of quitting for >1 day during the preceding year (59.3% in 1993 and 53.1% in 2007). Prevention of initiation and smoking cessation at all ages is beneficial in reducing morbidity and mortality. Clinicians should strongly advise smokers to quit and recommend they use effective cessation treatments (3). Health insurers, health insurance purchasers, and health systems should assist clinicians in making effective treatments available by including counseling and medications for smoking cessation as covered benefits and should support effective community interventions for cessation, including increased excise taxes, mass media campaigns, and smoke-free laws (3,4).
7/31/2007 NY Times: Nicotine Addiction Is Quick in Youths, Research Finds
A young cigarette smoker can begin to feel powerful desires for nicotine within two days of first inhaling, a new study has found, and about half of children who become addicted report symptoms of dependence by the time they are smoking only seven cigarettes a month.
7/11/2006 Smoking Raises Risk Of Age-related Macular Degeneration
If you are male and smoke you have a significantly higher risk of developing age-related macular degeneration later in life than a person who does not smoke, according to a study carried out by Dr. Johanna M. Seddon, director of the Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, USA, and team. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of blindness and visual impairment for people over 60. As the human population in most of the world is getting older, the prevalence of this blinding disease is expected to rise.
2/26/2006 Medical News Today: Cigarette Smoking Nearly Doubles Risk For Root Canal Treatment
"We found that cigarette smokers are 70 percent more likely to need root canal treatment than nonsmokers," explained Dr. Kaye. The research also showed that cigar and pipe smoking, despite being another form of tobacco smoking, had only slight impact on a patient's risk for root canal compared to non-smokers. "Because fewer men smoked cigars and pipes, we cannot be absolutely positive there's an increased risk there at all," she said.
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