Texting isn't just for communication. Texting apps that send helpful
information, tips, and encouragement have been found to significantly
improve success and confidence of smokers trying to kick the habit.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine,
details how researchers assessed the effectiveness of a texting app
designed to serve as a therapeutic aid for smokers trying to quit.
The app, called Text2Quit, periodically sends text messages to a
smoker's phone to remind them about the benefits of quitting. It even
offers tips and advice to any texter who breaks their abstinence from
smoking, as long as they text the program with key words like "smoked,"
"help," or "crave."
However, researchers from the Milken Institute School of Public
Health (MIPH) were curious to learn if such a program actually worked to
improve the likelihood of a successful quitting experience.
In an experiment involving 503 participants, potential quitters were
asked to either use the Text2Quit app or receive standard self-help
material. The latter half were included in the study and their progress
followed for at least half a year between 2011 and 2013.
According to the study, over 11 percent of participants in the
texting group successfully quit smoking for at least six months - as
verified by saliva testing. Among the self-help group, only 5 percent
could make the same claim.
The developer of the program and author of the study Lorien Abroms
said that she believes these results verify the idea that mobile devices
can be used as a new platform for therapy and aid.
Mobile phones, she told ABC News, are tools "that people are regularly using, in touch with, living their lives attached to."
"Given how widespread mobile phone use is, it's great we can take advantage of it to help people," she added.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Teens’ Brain Structure May Be Altered by Smoking
There is no surprise that
smoking cigarette for many years can modify the method the mind develops
nicotine, making a well-worn prototype of longing and pleasure that’s hard to
break.
But when does this phase get started? And does nicotine in fact alter structures in the brain to make dependence more likely?
In the latest research, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at University of California Los Angeles, and her team found that young smokers did have differences in a specific brain region compared with non smokers. Even more concerning, these differences emerged with a relatively light smoking habit of one pack or less of cigarettes a day.
London and her colleagues focused on a brain region called the insula, since previous studies in animal and adults showed that its size and volume were affected by smoking. Of the regions in the cortical, or memory, awareness and language parts of the brain, the insula contains the most receptors for nicotine. The region is responsible for decision-making and helping to establish a person’s conscious awareness of his internal state. In studies of stroke patients, smokers who lost function of the right insula in the stroke quit smoking, and reported feeling no cravings for nicotine. And in earlier studies London’s team conducted, they found a strong relationship between how much smokers who watched videos of people smoking experienced cravings for cigarettes and the activity of the insula, which lit up on PET scans.
When London’s team looked at the brains of the 18 smoking teens and 24 non-smoking adolescents, aged 16 to 21 years, using structural MRI, they found no differences overall in the insula region. But a closer examination revealed that the right insula of the smokers was thinner than those of the nonsmokers.
“The brain is still undergoing development when someone is in their late teens,” she says. “It’s possible that smoking during this period could have effects that could alter tobacco dependence later in life, and that the insult could alter the trajectory of brain development.”
While the study doesn’t establish whether the differences in the insula can lead to smoking, or is the result of smoking, London says it highlights the role that the brain region may play in how people respond to nicotine and cigarettes. “I think this is very exciting because it points to a vulnerability, a potential vulnerability factor either to become nicotine dependent or for the effects of smoking to ultimately alter the trajectory of brain development,” she says. That trajectory could affect not only smoking behavior but decision-making in general, since the insula is important in such assessments.
But when does this phase get started? And does nicotine in fact alter structures in the brain to make dependence more likely?
In the latest research, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at University of California Los Angeles, and her team found that young smokers did have differences in a specific brain region compared with non smokers. Even more concerning, these differences emerged with a relatively light smoking habit of one pack or less of cigarettes a day.
London and her colleagues focused on a brain region called the insula, since previous studies in animal and adults showed that its size and volume were affected by smoking. Of the regions in the cortical, or memory, awareness and language parts of the brain, the insula contains the most receptors for nicotine. The region is responsible for decision-making and helping to establish a person’s conscious awareness of his internal state. In studies of stroke patients, smokers who lost function of the right insula in the stroke quit smoking, and reported feeling no cravings for nicotine. And in earlier studies London’s team conducted, they found a strong relationship between how much smokers who watched videos of people smoking experienced cravings for cigarettes and the activity of the insula, which lit up on PET scans.
When London’s team looked at the brains of the 18 smoking teens and 24 non-smoking adolescents, aged 16 to 21 years, using structural MRI, they found no differences overall in the insula region. But a closer examination revealed that the right insula of the smokers was thinner than those of the nonsmokers.
“The brain is still undergoing development when someone is in their late teens,” she says. “It’s possible that smoking during this period could have effects that could alter tobacco dependence later in life, and that the insult could alter the trajectory of brain development.”
While the study doesn’t establish whether the differences in the insula can lead to smoking, or is the result of smoking, London says it highlights the role that the brain region may play in how people respond to nicotine and cigarettes. “I think this is very exciting because it points to a vulnerability, a potential vulnerability factor either to become nicotine dependent or for the effects of smoking to ultimately alter the trajectory of brain development,” she says. That trajectory could affect not only smoking behavior but decision-making in general, since the insula is important in such assessments.
Friday, April 18, 2014
A new innovative device, called e-cigarettes
A new innovative device, called
e-cigarettes have become an alternate drug to regular cigarettes. Advertised as
cigarettes that are not harmful like tobacco ones, these e-cigarettes do not
have the addictive chemicals regular cigarettes do. This has caused the
e-cigarette companies to advertise them as a way to stop smoking.6 However,
the FDA is cracking down on this illegal advertising of e-cigarettes and is
looking to officially classify them as a drug as well.
New York is pushing to become the first state to ban
the devices, which so far remain unregulated and mostly unstudied. With cutesy
colors, fruity flavors, clever designs and other options, e-cigarettes may hold
too much appeal for young people, critics warn, offering an easy gateway to
nicotine addiction. But those criticisms clash with equally strong arguments for the value of e-cigarettes. The devices, which are tobacco-free, may be a safer alternative to cigarettes, say advocates, who point to testimonials from thousands of smokers who say they have used e-cigarettes to help them quit.
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration struggles to gain regulatory control, and as safety studies remain works in progress, the debate continues.
"There really are a lot of unknowns with respect to health," said Prue Talbot, a toxicologist at the University California, Riverside. "I don't know of any studies in the literature which are peer-reviewed. Almost all of the studies have been paid for by the e-cigarette companies.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to kids’ arteries Read more: Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to kids’ arteries -
Exposure to second-hand smoke in childhood causes irreversible damage to children’s arteries - increasing their risk of heart attacks or strokes when they grow up, according to a large international study published on Wednesday.
The research, which lends weight to campaigns for smoking to be banned in private cars and homes, found passive smoking leads to a thickening of children’s artery walls, adding some 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels by adulthood.
“Exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries,” said Seana Gall, a researcher in cardiovascular epidemiology who led the study at the University of Tasmania.
She said parents, or even those thinking about becoming parents, should quit smoking - both to aid their own health and protect the future health of their children.
Smoking causes lung cancer, which is often fatal, and is the world’s biggest cause of premature death from chronic conditions like heart disease, stroke and High Blood Pressure.
On top of the 6 million people a year killed by their own smoking, the World Health Organization (WHO) says another 600,000 die a year as a result of exposure to other peoples’ smoke - so-called second-hand or passive smoking.
Of the more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are
known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer, the WHO
says - and creating 100 percent smoke-free environments is the only way
to protect people fully.
About 40 percent of all children are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home, and almost a third of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke are in children. Kiss Superslims Dream
ARTERY WALLS
This latest study, published in the European Heart Journal, was the first to follow children through to adulthood to look at links between exposure to parents’ smoking and thickness of the innermost two layers of the arterial wall, known as carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).
Researchers from Finland and Australia looked at data from 2,401 people in Finland 1,375 people in Australia who were asked about their parents’ smoking habits. The scientists used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the children’s artery walls once they had reached adulthood.
The results showed that carotid IMT in adulthood was 0.015 millimeters thicker in those exposed to both parents smoking than in those whose parents did not smoke.
Gall said that while this was a “modest” increase, it was nonetheless an important extra and irreversible risk for suffering heart attacks or strokes later in life.
Since children of parents who smoke are also more likely to grow up to be smokers themselves, and more likely to be overweight, their heart health risks are often already raised, she said, and the second-hand smoke adds yet more risk.
The research, which lends weight to campaigns for smoking to be banned in private cars and homes, found passive smoking leads to a thickening of children’s artery walls, adding some 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels by adulthood.
“Exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries,” said Seana Gall, a researcher in cardiovascular epidemiology who led the study at the University of Tasmania.
She said parents, or even those thinking about becoming parents, should quit smoking - both to aid their own health and protect the future health of their children.
On top of the 6 million people a year killed by their own smoking, the World Health Organization (WHO) says another 600,000 die a year as a result of exposure to other peoples’ smoke - so-called second-hand or passive smoking.
Of the more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are
known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer, the WHO
says - and creating 100 percent smoke-free environments is the only way
to protect people fully.
About 40 percent of all children are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home, and almost a third of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke are in children. Kiss Superslims Dream
ARTERY WALLS
This latest study, published in the European Heart Journal, was the first to follow children through to adulthood to look at links between exposure to parents’ smoking and thickness of the innermost two layers of the arterial wall, known as carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).
Researchers from Finland and Australia looked at data from 2,401 people in Finland 1,375 people in Australia who were asked about their parents’ smoking habits. The scientists used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the children’s artery walls once they had reached adulthood.
The results showed that carotid IMT in adulthood was 0.015 millimeters thicker in those exposed to both parents smoking than in those whose parents did not smoke.
Gall said that while this was a “modest” increase, it was nonetheless an important extra and irreversible risk for suffering heart attacks or strokes later in life.
Since children of parents who smoke are also more likely to grow up to be smokers themselves, and more likely to be overweight, their heart health risks are often already raised, she said, and the second-hand smoke adds yet more risk.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Farmington adopts public smoking ban
The town of Farmington in north Mississippi is going smoke free.
The Daily Corinthian reports that local aldermen approved the new ordinance this week.
Mayor Dale Fortenberry says all businesses within the city will be smoke free. He says the ban also applies to electronic cigarettes." L&M Red Label
City officials say smokers will have to be at least 15 feet from a business entrance in order to smoke.
Farmington is one of more than 65 cities in the state to go smoke free.
Corinth voted to go smoke free in November 2007, while Rienzi city officials voted to ban smoking in January 2011.
The Daily Corinthian reports that local aldermen approved the new ordinance this week.
Mayor Dale Fortenberry says all businesses within the city will be smoke free. He says the ban also applies to electronic cigarettes." L&M Red Label
City officials say smokers will have to be at least 15 feet from a business entrance in order to smoke.
Farmington is one of more than 65 cities in the state to go smoke free.
Corinth voted to go smoke free in November 2007, while Rienzi city officials voted to ban smoking in January 2011.
Careless smoking eyed as cause of apartment blaze
Careless smoking is believed to be the cause of a fire that injured two
people at a high-rise apartment building just east of Toronto’s
downtown core Thursday morning.
The small fire occurred inside a seventh-floor suite in a Toronto Community Housing Corp. building at Dundas and Sherbourne streets at about 5:20 a.m.
Toronto Fire Services District Chief James Green said the tenant was removed from the smoke-filled suite by the building's security officers. Pall Mall Nanokings Blue Slims
Paramedics transported the tenant to hospital to be treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation, while one of the TCHC security officer was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, Green told CP24 reporter Cam Woolley at the scene.
Firefighters rushed into the building and quickly extinguished the blaze, which Green said was confined to contents within the suite. They brought out a chair that caught fire and they used fans to clear smoke inside the building.
The small fire occurred inside a seventh-floor suite in a Toronto Community Housing Corp. building at Dundas and Sherbourne streets at about 5:20 a.m.
Toronto Fire Services District Chief James Green said the tenant was removed from the smoke-filled suite by the building's security officers. Pall Mall Nanokings Blue Slims
Paramedics transported the tenant to hospital to be treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation, while one of the TCHC security officer was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, Green told CP24 reporter Cam Woolley at the scene.
Firefighters rushed into the building and quickly extinguished the blaze, which Green said was confined to contents within the suite. They brought out a chair that caught fire and they used fans to clear smoke inside the building.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Smoking During Pregnancy Can Hike Daughter’s Risk of Nicotine Addiction
Experts have warned that tobacco smoking by pregnant women may adversely affect the developing fetus.
Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that 13 percent -30 percent of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant.
A new 40-year study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provides additional evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life.
The new findings, however, suggests the nicotine dependence occurs only for daughters.
It also confirms previous research that babies born to moms who smoked when pregnant have an increased risk of nicotine addiction in adulthood.
“While maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be an independent risk factor for nicotine dependence, we didn’t really know which pathways or mechanisms were responsible. Most prior research involving biological mechanisms had been conducted in animals not humans,” said Dr. Laura Stroud, the first author on this study.
“Our study suggests that maternal smoking and high stress hormones represent a ‘double-hit’ in terms of increasing an offspring’s risk for nicotine addiction as an adult.
“Because mothers who smoke are often more stressed and living in adverse conditions — these findings represent a major public health concern.”
To conduct the study, Stroud and her colleagues used data from a large, national, long-term project that began in 1959 and enrolled over 50,000 pregnant women.
The offspring of those women were ultimately followed by researchers for 40 years.
For this particular project, 1,086 mothers participated, where their hormone levels (cortisol and testosterone) were measured during pregnancy and their smoking status was recorded.
Their children, 649 of whom were daughters and 437 of whom were sons, were interviewed as adults and their smoking status was also recorded. Classic Silver
The findings revealed that in female but not male offspring, elevated prenatal cortisol exposure and exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with increased rates of nicotine dependence as adults.
No links were found between elevated prenatal testosterone exposure and adult nicotine dependence. There were also no findings among male offspring.
“Our findings highlight the particular vulnerability of daughters to long-term adverse outcomes following maternal stress and smoking during pregnancy .
“We don’t yet know why this is, but possible mechanisms include sex differences in stress hormone regulation in the placenta and adaptation to prenatal environmental exposures,” added Stroud.
“Also, cortisol and nicotine may affect developing male and female brains differently. Furthermore, if daughters of smoking mothers are more likely to grow up nicotine dependent, the result is dangerous cycle of intergenerational transmission of nicotine addiction.”
“These new data may help us to focus our attention on individuals at greatest risk for later smoking,” said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.
“It is interesting that female, but not male, offspring seemed to be at greatest risk. Sex differences in the vulnerability to smoking are important and merit further study.”
Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that 13 percent -30 percent of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant.
A new 40-year study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provides additional evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life.
The new findings, however, suggests the nicotine dependence occurs only for daughters.
It also confirms previous research that babies born to moms who smoked when pregnant have an increased risk of nicotine addiction in adulthood.
“While maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be an independent risk factor for nicotine dependence, we didn’t really know which pathways or mechanisms were responsible. Most prior research involving biological mechanisms had been conducted in animals not humans,” said Dr. Laura Stroud, the first author on this study.
“Our study suggests that maternal smoking and high stress hormones represent a ‘double-hit’ in terms of increasing an offspring’s risk for nicotine addiction as an adult.
“Because mothers who smoke are often more stressed and living in adverse conditions — these findings represent a major public health concern.”
To conduct the study, Stroud and her colleagues used data from a large, national, long-term project that began in 1959 and enrolled over 50,000 pregnant women.
The offspring of those women were ultimately followed by researchers for 40 years.
For this particular project, 1,086 mothers participated, where their hormone levels (cortisol and testosterone) were measured during pregnancy and their smoking status was recorded.
Their children, 649 of whom were daughters and 437 of whom were sons, were interviewed as adults and their smoking status was also recorded. Classic Silver
The findings revealed that in female but not male offspring, elevated prenatal cortisol exposure and exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with increased rates of nicotine dependence as adults.
No links were found between elevated prenatal testosterone exposure and adult nicotine dependence. There were also no findings among male offspring.
“Our findings highlight the particular vulnerability of daughters to long-term adverse outcomes following maternal stress and smoking during pregnancy .
“We don’t yet know why this is, but possible mechanisms include sex differences in stress hormone regulation in the placenta and adaptation to prenatal environmental exposures,” added Stroud.
“Also, cortisol and nicotine may affect developing male and female brains differently. Furthermore, if daughters of smoking mothers are more likely to grow up nicotine dependent, the result is dangerous cycle of intergenerational transmission of nicotine addiction.”
“These new data may help us to focus our attention on individuals at greatest risk for later smoking,” said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.
“It is interesting that female, but not male, offspring seemed to be at greatest risk. Sex differences in the vulnerability to smoking are important and merit further study.”
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