http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/cessation.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/03/twitter-resist-cigarettes-alcohol-study?newsfeed=true http://tobacco.org/news/333238.html Tweeting or checking emails may be harder to resist than cigarettes and alcohol, according to researchers who tried to measure how well people could resist their desires. They even claim that while sleep and sex may be stronger urges, people are more likely to give in to longings or cravings to use social and other media. A team headed by Wilhelm Hofmann of Chicago University's Booth Business School say their experiment, using BlackBerrys, to gauge the willpower of 205 people aged between 18 and 85 in and around the German city of Würtzburg is the first to monitor such responses "in the wild" outside a laboratory. The results will soon be published in the journal Psychological Science. . . . "With cigarettes and alcohol there are more costs – long-term as well as monetary – and the opportunity may not always be the right one. So, even though giving in to media desires is certainly less consequential, the frequent use may still 'steal' a lot of people's time.". The Guardian science@guardian.co.uk ( James Meikle) Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsArticle.aspx?articleid=481210 http://tobacco.org/news/333237.html American smokers want to kick the habit, but they do not seem to be getting the help they need from their health care professionals. Most smokers want to quit smoking, and more than half have tried to quit in the prior year. But those who are trying to quit aren’t receiving the help and support they need. According to a report in the November 11, 2011, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 68.8 percent of current cigarette smokers said they would like to stop smoking completely, and 52.4 percent had tried to quit smoking in the preceding year. But 68.3 percent of the smokers who tried to quit did so without using evidence-based cessation counseling or medications, and only 48.3 percent of those who had visited a health care professional in the prior year reported receiving advice on how to quit smoking. The report was published in conjunction with the annual Great American Smokeout, observed last year on November 17. The Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, urges smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. Psychiatric News name@domain.com ( Leslie Sinclair) Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/the-next-cigarette-1.410879 http://tobacco.org/news/333228.html Three days after I quit, while I was still convinced that the desired personality change had finally taken place and that soon, perhaps, I would begin to eat spelt regularly and maybe even do aerobic exercises - I thus decided, out of the infinite goodness of my heart, to share with you all the good things that happened to me after that six-hour workshop, and I did in fact write a column in that spirit. Seven days later, when the column was published, I was flooded with encouraging and amazed reactions. . . . And there are also all the habits that accompany smoking and are hard to abandon. To this day, a month and a week after I've stopped smoking again, I find myself putting my hand into my bag in search of a cigarette, albeit less frequently. And still, the workshop's main and most convincing message is that if you don't treat the cigarette as something wonderful, which means that giving it up is supposed to be difficult or to create a sense of deprivation; and if we understand that a cigarette is a cigarette is a cigarette, a sophisticated product that was created to enrich the tobacco companies and the governments that benefit by encouraging addiction among consumers, who pay high taxes - we also avoid the sense of misery we are convinced we will feel if we only try to quit. So I stopped smoking over a month ago and I didn't feel any particular misery, as opposed to all the previous times when I quit. I don't feel that I've denied myself something and that therefore I deserve immediate compensation in the guise of a cigarette, or at least a Krembo treat. But have I changed from being a person who has quit smoking to being a non-smoker? Don't make me laugh. Ha'aretz Newspaper/Magazine Israel Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.khq.com/story/16660710/idaho-panel-sets-priorities-for-tobacco-money http://tobacco.org/news/333186.html State lawmakers want to use $5.7 million from a nationwide tobacco settlement for smoking cessation programs and substance abuse treatment. Idaho currently gets money annually from the 1998 settlement with the nation's five largest tobacco companies. The money goes into an account called the "Millennium Fund," and lawmakers allocate 5% each year to spend on smoking prevention and related health programs. Associated Press Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/blog-25-7024-bill-to-charge-medicaid-tobacco-users-more-takes-a-smoke-break.html http://tobacco.org/news/333165.html Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, asked a legislative committee Thursday for help in developing a "wellness" program in the state that would use higher co-pays to encourage healthy behavior among the state's members of Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income individuals and families. Ray argued that smokers pay different premiums with private insurance, so why not with the federal program. "If it works with private insurance, why can't we take it and work it in with Medicaid?" Ray asked. Ray's House Bill 247 would seek a waiver from the federal government to allow the state to charge an increased co-pay of $2-$3 per visit to state Medicaid patients who use tobacco products. Ray said the program could be used to help cover costs of administrating the federal program and encourage patients to quit smoking since it would also allow patients to waive the cost if they signed up for a smoking-cessation program. "This rolls back to personal responsibility. . . . At a meeting of the House Government Operations Committee, the bill faced opposition from health-care advocates like Dr. Jennifer Brinton of the Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who worried the added cost would have a chilling effect on dialogue between vulnerable Utahns and their physicians. "Studies show smokers already underreport their smoking Salt Lake City Weekly Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://search.eurekalert.org/e3/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/jotn-sos012012.php&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=tobacco%2C+smoking%2C+cigarettes&col=ev3rel&n=23&la=en http://tobacco.org/news/333124.html Telephone counseling services (also known as quitlines) are an effective intervention for Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers living in the U.S., and should be incorporated into current smoking cessation services, according to a study published January 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Quitlines have played an essential role in helping people quit smoking in the U.S. These services, however, had never been tested with Asian immigrants who may have limited proficiency in English. Dr. Shu-Hong Zhu, a Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), and his colleagues designed an intervention to test the effectiveness of quitline counseling for Asian immigrant smokers. The study was embedded into the California quitline service operated by UCSD. Dr. Zhu and his team developed a culturally tailored counseling protocol and tested its effectiveness in Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers in a large randomized trial. Participants were 2,277 adult smokers who were first time callers to the Asian-language lines of the California Smokers' Helpline. EurekAlert Zachary.Rathner@oup.com Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/politics&id=8526858 http://tobacco.org/news/333110.html Prop 29, called the California Cancer Research Act, would hike tobacco taxes a dollar per pack of cigarettes and other related products to fund research and prevention measures. Supporters of California's Cancer Research Act urged students at Fresno State to vote yes on Prop 29. If approved, the measure would tax a dollar onto a pack of cigarettes which now cost around five or six bucks. "We're hoping that with Prop 29, we'll raise about $600-million each year for cancer research, and cancer education and smoking prevention programs here in California," said Dr. Paul Mills. KFSN ABC-30 Tommy.Tran@abc.com (Tommy Tran, News Team) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://finance.yahoo.com/news/-5-000-QuitCash-Challenge-prnews-1761157414.html?x=0 http://tobacco.org/news/333109.html A Fridley woman quit smoking after nearly 13 years to win the $5,000 grand prize in QUITPLAN Services' fourth annual QuitCash Challenge. Christine Albertson, 26, was one of more than 3,000 Minnesotans who entered The QuitCash Challenge, kicking their tobacco habit and remaining smoke-free for at least one month. QUITPLAN Services will celebrate Christine's accomplishment and present her with a check for $5,000 on Friday, January 27, just one week before American Heart Month begins. American Heart Month draws attention to the leading cause of death in the United States, coronary heart disease, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control, can be caused by smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Christine was able to overcome her addiction to tobacco by using nicotine patches, which she has now weaned off of completely. PR Newswire Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/journalist_prize/2011/docs/article_poloniasmokingcessation_en.pdf http://tobacco.org/news/333100.html "I have come here to have my teeth treated, and not to quit smoking! said – by way of a goodbye – a 40-year-old policewoman who I had tried to convince that without quitting smoking she could not possibly count on an improvement in the very bad condition of her oral cavity, the treatment she had consulted me about" − recalls a dental surgeon from one of the cities in Silesia. Her task usually begins at the point when general dentists decide there is nothing more they can do. It turns out that during many years of practice she observed that cigarettes are one of the main causes of complications in the treatment of diseases affecting the oral cavity, and that without giving up smoking one cannot count on the efficiency of the treatment. . . . Few people know that oral cavity comes 6th on the list of organs most frequently affected by cancer. Changes can appear on the tongue, the buccal mucosa, the floor of the mouth, the lips and the throat. That's why a visit to the dentist is often the beginning of a complex treatment of an oncological patient. . . . Oral cancer, periodontitis, teeth loss, bad breath, inefficient teeth whitening, failure concerning dental implants, alveolar bone loss, gingival recession – this is just an indicative list of conditions of the oral cavity that can be caused by smoking. It should suffice as motivation for both dentists and their patients to mutually support each other in their fight against smoking. Maybe reading this article will deter addictive smokers from pursuing their habit. European Commission on Health & Consumer Protection Poland Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/journalist_prize/2011/index_en.htm http://tobacco.org/news/333099.html The EU Health Prize for Journalists was held for the third time in 2011. In total, 358 journalists from the 27 EU countries submitted 498 eligible articles. . . . The Special Prize on smoking cessation was awarded to Monika Cetera from Poland for her web article "I've come here to have my teeth treated, not to quit smoking [99 KB] ", published on www.jaw.pl. European Commission on Health & Consumer Protection Europe Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120126006065/en/Aetna-Exploring-Technology-Reduce-Tobacco-Patients http://tobacco.org/news/333096.html With cigarette smoking causing about 1 of every 5 deaths in the United States each year, Aetna (NYSE: AET) is piloting a new program to support dentists in adopting the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) five A’s tobacco cessation guidelines – Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange. "The study will help us gather input from general practice dentists to develop, refine and pilot test an innovative clinical decision support system - the Dental Tobacco Cessation I-Pad" “Our work is designed to support not only dentists and their clinical staff, but also the well-being of their patients and our members,” said Dr. Mary Lee Conicella, Aetna’s chief dental officer. “Numerous investigations, along with Aetna’s own work in dental offices, provide evidence that many dentists engage in Asking and Advising about tobacco use. However, the remaining A’s do not receive adequate attention in the clinical setting.” Through the new program, Aetna will promote tobacco counseling by dentists and will study the impact that a smoking cessation clinical decision support system (CDSS) has on a patient’s tobacco use. A CDSS is a system designed to integrate a medical knowledge base, patient data and decision support technology to generate case specific advice. Aetna will be working with Columbia University to design and implement the program; Aetna will carry out the pilot in network dental offices in the New York City area. Business Wire wigginm@aetna.com Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120201005969/en/Unstoppable-Smoking-Cessation-Campaign-Gains-Momentum-Journalist http://tobacco.org/news/333093.html -The winners of the third annual EU Health Prize for Journalists were announced yesterday in Brussels. For the first time in its three-year history, a special prize was awarded for entries on the subject of smoking cessation. Shortlisted from 32 entries on the topic, the winner was revealed as Monica Cetera for her web article "I've come here to have my teeth treated, not to quit smoking" which details an unpleasant but lesser known harmful effect of smoking - poor oral health. The article also illustrates the financial costs associated with smoking. “Journalists play an essential role in transmitting health information messages and empowering people to take control of their health”, said John Dalli, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. “This special prize has been created to recognise those journalists who stand out from the crowd in their approach to tackling such a critical health issue as smoking cessation.” . . . Commenting on the winning entry of the special prize, Dalli said, “I would like to congratulate the winner in this Smoking Cessation Health Prize. Journalists play a key role in reaching out to citizens and informing them on smoking prevention and tobacco use. This special prize has stimulated awareness and debate on smoking cessation messages across Europe”. Business Wire orla.barnewell@toniclc.com Europe Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/02/03/2003524583 http://tobacco.org/news/333087.html Two thousand hospitals and clinics are expected to join in a nationwide campaign to help people quit smoking that will be launched on March 1, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. About 180,000 people are expected to take advantage of the program, which will translate into 45,000 smokers quitting the habit, given an expected success rate of 25 percent, Bureau of Health Promotion Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said. Success is counted if someone remains smoke-free six months after the end of the program. Taipei Times Taiwan Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/f9a88a0053984d7289e0ca1be5212e40/ID-XGR--Millennium-Fund/ http://tobacco.org/news/333080.html State lawmakers want to use $5.7 million from a nationwide tobacco settlement for smoking cessation programs and substance abuse treatment. Idaho currently gets money annually from the 1998 settlement with the nation's five largest tobacco companies. The money goes into an account called the "Millennium Fund," and lawmakers allocate 5 percent each year to spend on smoking prevention and related health programs. The committee that shepherds the fund voted 8-2 on Wednesday to recommend spending on a dozen programs, with the largest payment at $2 million going to the state Department of Health and Welfare. Associated Press Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.com/content/10/1/1 http://tobacco.org/news/333074.html Background Greece has the highest proportion of smokers in the European Union with 42% of Greeks admitting that they smoke, based on a 2009 survey. This post-hoc analysis of a prospective, observational study evaluated the effectiveness and safety profile of the smoking cessation aid varenicline, as well as potential predictors of quit success in a Greek population. . . . Conclusions In this 'real-world' observational study, 70.4% of Greek smokers successfully quit smoking after 12 weeks of varenicline therapy, providing support that varenicline is an effective smoking cessation medication. Further studies with longer follow-up are warranted. Tobacco Induced Diseases Greece Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT