Pike County Tobacco-Free Coalition * QUIT BLOG

Drinks to Success

2012-01-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I met at a local watering hole for an after work aperitif. There is nothing this side of hard physical labor that stimulates the appetite like a little anisette. As we placed our drink order with the bartender, I caught the eye of another patron. We acknowledged each other with a nod. Then he motioned to the bartender. When we received our drinks, they were compliments of this fellow. I lifted my glass in a thank you gesture and he returned the same.

Did this give my husband cause for concern? One might wonder. My husband did. However, there is a better explanation than bad bar etiquette. The man had been enrolled in Penn State Extension’s tobacco treatment in 2007, and I was the counselor for that program.

He was clearly grateful for putting tobacco behind him. I remember his circumstance well. As mentioned, he quit in 2007, which was 1 year before Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Act would eliminate smoking at his workplace. You see, he is a bartender at another restaurant and bar in town. It could not have been easy, but he made up his mind to quit, regardless of others smoking around him. How nice for him that his workplace has been smoke-free for over 4 years and he has been tobacco-free for more than 5!

If this is inspiration for you to quit, the same program that helped this man is available to you. Call or visit Penn State Extension in Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570)296-3400, http://extension.psu.edu/pike. Support, counseling, and nicotine replacement is provided at no cost, thanks to Tobacco Free Northeast PA at Burn Prevention Network. Funding is through the PA Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs.

Most Smokers Want to Quit, But Few Try the Best Strategies

2011-11-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

More than two-thirds of smokers say they want to quit, but few actually succeed, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report found that among smokers who wanted to quit, half tried in 2010, but only about 6% were able to do it. Fewer than one third of smokers who tried to quit sought help through counseling or medication, even though such treatments can double or even triple the odds of success. Slightly less than half of smokers reported receiving advice from their doctors to quit, even though this also can increase quit attempts and the likelihood of success.

During a press teleconference on Thursday, Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the office on smoking and health at the CDC, noted that the study still offered "reassuring" news about smokers: most of them want to kick the habit. Rather than being a "hardened" group that has given up on quitting, the majority of people who still smoke — nearly 1 in 5 American adults — are motivated to overcome their addiction.

"The enthusiasm for smokers of becoming nonsmokers and their actual behavior is at least the same, and in some cases, higher than 10 years ago," said McAfee.

Historically, smokers who have quit have largely done it on their own, despite the fact that nicotine addiction is considered by addiction experts as the hardest to kick. It has not always been easy to determine how effective quit-smoking treatments are, because those who seek help are often a self-selected group of smokers who typically have had a harder time quitting without treatment.

"It's not a random decision as to whether to use counseling or medication," McAfee acknowledged, but noted that data from studies do show that quit treatments help. "There's no question, from the basis of dozens if not hundreds of large, very well conducted, randomized controlled trials, with thousands of people, that use of medication — and use of counseling at least [for those who seek it] — significantly increases the likelihood of quitting."

The medication that has been proven to be most effective in helping smokers quit is the subject of recent controversy. Varenicline (Chantix) has been shown to be superior to other medications like bupropion (Zyban) when compared directly, but studies have also found that Chantix is associated with more psychiatric side effects, including psychotic, suicidal or aggressive impulses and behavior, compared with other anti-smoking medications.

In October, the FDA reviewed data on psychiatric problems and varenicline, and concluded that the benefits of the drug outweighed the risks for smokers trying to quit. But another major study published in November suggested that the drug's side effects make it too dangerous to use as a first option for smokers trying to quit.

"The short story is that this is an area that is somewhat controversial," said McAfee. "The evidence for effectiveness is very strong, and there are somewhat conflicting results about the likelihood that these neuropsychiatric effects are actually due to varenicline or due to other factors."

"My best advice is to talk to your doctor about this and have a solid conversation about the pros and cons," he said.

Other data from the new CDC study indicate that African American smokers are more likely than other ethnic groups to want to quit and to attempt to do so — but are less successful. The authors suggested that this could be attributable in part to the fact that African Americans are three times more likely than other groups to smoke menthol cigarettes, which are harder to quit.

The study also found that smokers who have a college degree are nearly three times more likely to kick the habit than those who have less than a high school education, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may also play a role in the racial differences found.

The study was based on a survey of about 27,000 Americans, interviewed between 2001 and 2010, and was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in advance of the Great American Smokeout. The annual event, held by the American Cancer Society to support quitting, will take place on November 17.

The good news is that the more you've tried to quit smoking, the more likely you are to succeed eventually, according to the research.

by MAYA SZALAVITZ Friday, November 11, 2011

SMOKING AND VISION - Quitting Smoking Can Have Vision Benefits - Even after 80!

2011-06-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's never too late to quit smoking -- and according to new research from UCLA, quitting can help save one's vision even after age 80. In a study focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) -- the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65 -- researchers found that in women over 80, those who smoked were 5.5 times more likely to develop AMD than those who did not. According to lead author Ann Coleman, "The take-home message is that it's never too late to quit smoking. We found that even older people's eyes will benefit from kicking the habit."
Get all the details on this study at:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--int123009.php

(Source: Healthy Communities E-Newsletter, Volume 8, #2, Feb. 3, 2010)

FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes

2011-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls. In addition, these products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.

Public health experts expressed concern that electronic cigarettes could increase nicotine addiction and tobacco use in young people. Jonathan Winickoff, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium and Jonathan Samet, M.D., director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California, joined Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, and Matthew McKenna, M.D., director of the Office of Smoking and Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss the potential risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes.

“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.

Because these products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, at this time the agency has no way of knowing, except for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user.

Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

• Online: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm
• Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/DownloadForms/default.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
• Fax: (800) FDA-0178
• Phone: (800) FDA-1088

(Source: FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration News & Events News Release: July 22, 2009)

Smoking is Down

2011-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Heavy smoking is decreasing dramatically in the United States, according to the research of John Pierce PhD, in (JAMA) Journal of the American Medical Association.

The percentage of adults who smoke a pack or more per day declined from 23.2% in 1965 to 7.6% in 2007. The decline is attributed to lower initiation rate among young people.

California leads with rates of 2.6% reported for this period. California's tobacco control legislation, aggressive cigarette tax, higher than average cigarette prices, its well funded tobacco control program, and restrictive smoking bans are responsible.

Less smoking equals more savings for Medicare and Medicaid. On average, smokers incur $2,800 in extra medical expenses over a five-year period versus non-smokers, with larger costs over time. Quitting results in an average savings of $1,860 per person.*

The following link is a hummingbird Nest Cam in Orange County, California. It really has nothing to do with the above, except for this stretch: California’s high emissions and clean air standards protect air quality for these little birds, and all else who breathe.

http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam

*CAMPAIGN for TOBACCO-FREE Kids, MEDICAID AND MEDICARE COSTS & SAVINGS FROM COVERING TOBACCO CESSATION (Based on Porposals in Senate Bill S. 854 and House Bill H.R. 3676),page 4.

Link Found Between Secondhand Smoke and Diabetes

2011-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans Mar 14th 2011 News

Smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher chance of getting type 2diabetes than those who aren't around smoke at all, according to new research. And the more you breathe it in, the greater the risk.

Experts say the findings about secondhand smoke's potential role in the risk of diabetes were unexpected.

Lead researcher Dr. John P. Forman of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his team studied 1982 data from questionnaires given to more than 100,000 women. The respondents were nurses who were part of a larger national survey that stretched over several decades.

They were asked how much time they spent around cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke, Reuters said.

Over the course of the following 24 years, about 1 in 18 of the participants were told they had type 2 diabetes. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 1 in 13 in the United States live with the disease.

The findings, published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that the nurses who smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had the highest risk of getting diabetes. About 30 of the heavy smokers were diagnosed with the disease each year for every 10,000 women in the study. About 25 nonsmokers in 10,000 who were frequently around secondhand smoke got type 2 diabetes, according to the research.

Surprisingly, however, the risks of developing the disease were higher for former smokers and women exposed to secondhand smoke, with about 39 in 10,000 getting diabetes every year.

After the researchers accounted for other potential contributing factors, including age, weight and family history, they saw that the ex-smokers had a 12 percent higher chance of getting diabetes than the participants who routinely breathed in secondhand smoke.

It wasn't clear why a link emerged between type 2 diabetes and smoking, but inflammation in the cardiovascular system and cells is thought to play a part.

Dr. Gerald Bernstein, the director of the Diabetes Management Program at the Friedman Diabetes Institute in New York, said the findings make sense.

"Everything we do that is not good for you creates an inflammatory reaction of some kind," Bernstein told AOL Health. "Among them is cigarette smoke."

But, he said, the number of people at risk for type 2 diabetes is "enormous" to begin with.

"Because so many people are at risk for type 2 diabetes, the probability that a smoker could be next to somebody with that risk could be high," Bernstein said. "It will have an impact on the vascular system. Along with that, it might have an impact on the cells in the pancreas where insulin is produced."

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to process sugar, leading to potentially deadly complications and requiring sufferers to get regular insulin injections. It generally crops up in adulthood and can sometimes be managed with diet and exercise changes.

Dr. David Nathan, the head of the Diabetes Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the research doesn't mean smokers should keep up the habit, nor does it mean that women are more susceptible to diabetes than men if they're around cigarette smoke.

"There's no a priori reason to think that this wouldn't apply to men as well," he told Reuters.

The observational, retrospective study didn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the disease and smoking, but simply showed that the two seem to be associated.

But that doesn't take away from the study, Bernstein said.

"When you look at people with type 2 diabetes, you will see inflammatory events occurring around the beta cells. [Smoking] could just aggravate that," he told AOL Health. "That's conjecture because it's not proven ... but it's real. And it's not surprising."

Cheers for Quitting the Dip

2011-02-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

Stephen Strasburg Trying to Give Up Smokeless Tobacco.By Josh Alper
MLB Blogger | Follow on Twitter: @JoshAlper

As if returning from Tommy John surgery weren't enough to keep him occupied, Stephen Strasburg has added another big task to his to-do list in the weeks and months to come.

He's trying to kick his habit of stuffing a wad of tobacco in his lower lip. Like many other professional baseball players, Strasburg uses smokeless tobacco while on the clock, and he's trying to use his time away from the game to stop dipping. The inspiration for his change in ways was the cancer diagnosis received by Tony Gwynn, the Hall of Famer who managed Strasburg at San Diego State.

"I'm still in the process of quitting," Strasburg said. "I've made a lot of strides, stopped being so compulsive with it. I'm hoping I'm going to be clean for spring training. It's going to be hard, because it's something that's embedded in the game."

That's putting it mildly. While there have been major strides taken against smoking in recent years, the use of smokeless tobacco has remained pretty steady in Major League Baseball. Whether chew or dip, the Washington Post reports that 33 percent of players use some kind of smokeless tobacco. Use is also rising among young males, fueling the fire of those who would like to see baseball ban it outright to stop kids from picking up the habit.

It's a nice idea, but it is one that is unlikely to gain much traction. Like just about everything else in baseball it would have to be collectively bargained between owners and players, and it is hard to see what the owners would give up to eradicate tins of Skoal from the game. What's more, the idea of an outright ban doesn't really sit right since we're talking about a legal substance that doesn't impact anyone's ability to do their job.

A far better idea would be to promote the hell out the decisions of players like Strasburg (managers like Terry Francona, too) to quit using the stuff alongside prominent mention of what using smokeless tobacco did to Gwynn. Strasburg told the Post that he doesn't want to be a spokesperson for quitting dipping, but he spoke volumes when he told them that he picked it up from watching his favorite players as a kid. Stop the cycle the same way it started and you'll see serious results.
Read More: Nationals NL East Stephen+Strasburg, Tony+Gwynn

Through with Chew

2011-02-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

This week is Through with Chew Week. Many smokers are turning to smokeless tobacco in an erroneous belief that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes.

You don’t smoke it, you don’t swallow it. You put it between your cheek and gum and spit out the brown juice every few minutes. Ok that is pretty disgusting. But so what? After all, it’s called smokeless tobacco you don’t smoke it so it can’t be as bad as inhaling tobacco smoke into your lungs, right?

CHECK THESE 5 MYTHS ABOUT SMOKELESS TOBACCO BEFORE YOU DIP.

Myth One
"Smokeless Tobacco is Safer than Cigarettes."
Unfortunately, smokeless does not mean harmless. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), smokeless tobacco is a significant health risk and not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Users of smokeless tobacco are 50 times more likely to die from throat or mouth cancer than people who don’t dip or chew.

Myth Two
"I Don’t Use the Strong Stuff so I won’t Get Addicted."
The weakest smokeless tobacco products contain nearly as much nicotine as the average cigarette. Ninety percent of users move to the next strongest product.

Myth Three
"I won’t get Cancer Because I don’t Inhale."
Smokeless tobacco contains chemicals to release more of the nicotine into the moist cells that line your mouth tongue and gums. Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer causing agents. Even if you don’t die from oral cancer you may lose all or part of your lips, gums, tongue and jaw.

Myth Four
"Chewing Tobacco is a Symbol of Independence and Toughness."
Dipping or chewing is often the result of giving into pressures around you and that is not independence. When you are addicted to nicotine you are always wondering when you will be able to get it, how you will be able to get it and when you can get it next. It rules your life—not what most people consider independence. You can show your independence by not chewing when others do.

Myth Five
"I’m Young I won’t Have Any Symptoms for Years."
Smokeless tobacco residue stays in your mouth causing bad breath. Tobacco stains teeth yellow. If you chew you are more likely to lose teeth and have cavities. Smokeless tobacco increases blood pressure and heart rate. Within two years smokeless tobacco users develop leukoplakia a white patch in your mouth that can’t be scraped off and may indicate cancer.

For more info on how to quit using smokeless tobacco visit http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/TobaccoCancer/SmokelessTobaccoandHowtoQuit/smokeless-tobacco-intro

Uraguay Stands Up to Philip Morris' Bully Tactics

2011-01-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, tobacco giant Philip Morris (PM) - the maker of Marlboro cigarettes - sent the following message to the country of Uruguay:
We have more money than you.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.
After Uruguay passed legislation requiring 80% of the cigarette package be covered with a graphic warning label, PM decided to sue, forcing the country to legally defend its decision to protect the public. With PM earning more than twice Uruguay’s total economic output, the lawsuit was the perfect scare tactic. If they succeeded, it would send a message to all developing nations to not step on the tobacco giant’s toes. Fortunately, the Uruguayan government stood firm. Now, it’s our turn to help shed some light on the bullying that PM is doing around the world.
VOTE for Philip Morris as the

WORST COMPANY OF THE YEAR
in this year’s Public Eye Awards.

These attempts to intimidate developing countries from protecting their citizens have not gone unanswered. International public health groups and more than 140 health ministers from around the world came to Uruguay’s defense as did New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, who has committed millions to fight the spread of death and disease caused by tobacco use.
Today, you can help developing nations like Uruguay shine the spotlight on PM and their tactics of intimidation -- VOTE NOW!

Source: Brian Hutchinson
Director, Grassroots
www.tobaccofreekids.org * 202.296.5469 * 1400 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1200 Washington, D.C. 20005

Quitting menthol cigarettes may be harder for some smokers

2011-01-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2010

Credit: tobacco-facts.net Hershey, Pa

Menthol cigarettes may be harder to quit, particularly for some teens and African-Americans, who have the highest menthol cigarette use, according to a study by a team of researchers.

Recent studies have consistently found that racial/ethnic minority smokers of menthol cigarettes have a lower quit rate than comparable smokers of regular cigarettes, particularly among younger smokers.

One possible reason suggested in the report is that the menthol effect is influenced by economic factors -- less affluent smokers are more affected by price increases, forcing them to consume fewer cigarettes per day.

"This pattern of results is consistent with an effect that relies on menthol to facilitate increased nicotine intake from fewer cigarettes where economic pressures restrict the number of cigarettes smokers can afford to purchase," said Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, and an author of the report.

Menthol is a compound extracted from mint oils or produced synthetically that activates cold-sensitive neurons in the nervous system. Menthol cigarettes make up about 25 percent of the market but are preferred by certain subgroups of smokers, including about half of teenage smokers and 80 percent of African-American smokers.

Research has shown that menthol cigarettes may provide higher levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine and cotinine per cigarette smoked than regular cigarettes.

"Menthol stimulates cold receptors, so it produces a cooling sensation," Foulds said. "This effect may help smokers inhale more nicotine per cigarette and so become more addicted. In effect it helps the poison go down easier.

"The smoker who has reduced their cigarette consumption typically compensates by increasing inhalation per cigarette. Menthol in cigarettes makes the smoke less harsh, enabling these smokers to obtain a larger and more reinforcing nicotine hit."

The researchers, who published their results in a special issue of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, reviewed the evidence from 10 published studies that compared smoking cessation rates or proportions between mentholated and regular cigarette smokers.

Not all of the studies included in the report found an effect of menthol on quitting, and no studies to date have been specifically designed to look at menthol and cessation, but the effects of menthol on quitting were larger in more recent studies, in younger smokers and largely restricted to African-American and Latino smokers.

Other members of the research team are Monica Webb Hooper, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Oncology, University of Miami; Mark J. Pletcher,, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California at San Francisco; and Kolawole S. Okuyemi, Program in Health Disparities Research, University of Minnesota Medical School.

Helping a Smoker Quit

2011-01-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Many of us have friends or family members who started the New Year with the resolution to quit smoking. The American Cancer Society has these tips to help those we care about succeed at this this challenging task.

Do respect that the quitter is in charge. This is their lifestyle change and their challenge, not yours.

Do ask the person whether he or she wants you to ask regularly how he or she is doing. Let the person know that it's OK to talk to you whenever he or she needs to hear encouraging words.

Do help the quitter get what she or he needs, such as hard candy to suck on, straws to chew on, and fresh veggies cut up and kept in the refrigerator.

Do spend time doing things with the quitter to keep his or her mind off smoking -- go to the movies, take a walk to get past a craving (what many call a "nicotine fit"), or take a bike ride together.

Do try to see it from the smoker's point of view -- a smoker's habit may feel like an old friend that has always been there when times were tough. It's hard to give that up.

Do make your home smoke free, meaning that no one can smoke in any part of the house. Remove lighters and ash trays from your home.

Do help the quitter with a few chores, some child care, cooking -- whatever will help lighten the stress of quitting.

Do celebrate along the way. Quitting smoking is a BIG DEAL!

Don't doubt the smoker's ability to quit. Your faith in them reminds them they can do it.

Don't judge, nag, preach, tease, or scold. This may make the smoker feel worse about him or herself. You don't want your loved one to turn to a cigarette to soothe hurt feelings.

Don't take the quitter's grumpiness personally during his or her nicotine withdrawal. The symptoms usually pass in about 2 weeks.

Don't offer advice. Just ask how you can help with the plan or program they are using.

If your ex-smoker "slips"

Don't assume that he or she will start back smoking like before. A "slip" (taking a puff or smoking a cigarette or two) is pretty common when a person is quitting.

Do remind the quitter how long he or she went without a cigarette before the slip.

Do help the quitter remember all the reasons he or she wanted to quit, and forget about the slip as soon as possible.

Don't scold, tease, nag, or make the quitter feel guilty. Be sure the quitter knows that you care about him or her whether or not he or she smokes.

If your quitter relapses

Research shows that most people try to quit smoking several times before they succeed. (It's called a relapse when smokers go back to smoking like they were before they tried to quit.)
If a relapse happens, think of it as practice for the time he or she will succeed. Don't give up your efforts to encourage and support your loved one. If the person you care about fails to quit or starts smoking again:

Do praise him or her for trying to quit, and for whatever length of time (days, weeks, or months) of not smoking.

Do encourage him or her to try again. Don't say, "If you try again..." Say, "When you try again..." Studies show that most people who don't succeed in quitting are ready to try again in the near future.

Do encourage him or her to learn from the attempt. Things a person learns from a failed attempt to quit may help him or her quit for good next time. It takes time and skills to learn to be a non-smoker.

Do say, "It's normal to not succeed the first few times you try to quit. Most people understand this, and know that they have to try to quit again. You didn't smoke for (length of time) this time. Now you know you can do that much. You can get even further next time."

If you are a smoker

Do smoke outside and always away from the quitter.

Do keep your cigarettes, lighters, and matches out of sight. They might be triggers for your loved one to smoke.

Don't ever offer the quitter a smoke, even as a joke!

Do join your loved one in his or her effort to quit. It's better for your health and might be easier to do with someone else who is trying to quit, too.

The Quitline can help too 1-800-QUITNOW or smokefree.gov. For mor personal help quitting the Pike County Tobacco-Free coalition offers group and individual counseling just call
570-296-3400.

POSITIVE TRENDS

2010-12-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

Good news seems hard to find these days. Here, lifted from the 'goodneighbor' magazine from State Farm, are reasons to be optimisic:

YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE SMARTER DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING
From 1997 to 2007, the percentage of high school students who smoke has fallen steadily, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. At the beginning of the period, about 36.4 percent of students smoked. Ten years later the number had fallen to 20 percent. Likewise, fewer teenagers are using alcohol and hard drugs, including methamphetamines and cocaine. Between 2004 and 2009 there were declines in: > The use of meth by eighth graders. > The use of amphetatmines and cocaine among 10th and 12th graders. > The use and binge-use of alcohol among all three grades.

The percentage of 12th graders using hallucinogens and LSD dropped in 2009. Greater numbers of students perceived drug use to be harmful, which often foretells of a change in use.

OUR HEARTS LOVE ANTI-SMOKING LAWS According to a comparison of fee-for-service Medicare patients in 2002 and 2007, the amount of hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped 23 percent during that time period. One possible reason? Public smoking bans that are now law in 32 states and many cities. A 2009 study in the Journal of the American College of Cariology showed cities with "no butts" policies saw a decline in emergency room visits for heart attacks within three months of the ban. Heart attacks continued to decline in these smoke-free areas, sometimes dropping as much as 25 percent below pre-ban numbers.

Tobacco Giant RJ Reynolds plans to turn Camel Cigarette Packs into Homage to Williamsburg

2010-11-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Camel aims cigarette packs at trendy Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/12/2010-11-12_camel_aims_cig_packs_at_hipsters_in_wburg.html?r=new

Medicare to Cover Smoking Cessation

2010-08-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Good news for seniors who want to quit smoking -- Medicare will now cover tobacco cessation counseling -- the Department of Health and Human Services announced.

The new coverage was mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which contains a number of measures that focus on preventing diseases before they occur, such as paying for cancer screenings, and annual no-cost wellness checkups.

"For too long, many tobacco users with Medicare coverage were denied access to evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement announcing the new benefit. "Most Medicare beneficiaries want to quit their tobacco use. Now, older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries can get the help they need to successfully overcome tobacco dependence."

Of the 46 million Americans who smoke, about 4.5 million are Medicare beneficiaries over age 65, and another million receive Medicare benefits because of a disability, according to HHS.

Previously, Medicare only covered smoking cessation counseling if a recipient had already been diagnosed with a tobacco-related disease or showed symptoms of such a disease.

All Medicare beneficiaries already have access to smoking-cessation prescription medication through Medicare's prescription drug program, Part D.

Under the new coverage -- which applies to Medicare Part A and Part B -- any Medicare beneficiary who smokes will be able to receive counseling from a "qualified physician or other Medicare-recognized practitioner" who can help them quit smoking.

The benefit will cover up to two separate tobacco cessation attempts per year -- and each stint in stop-smoking counseling can include up to four sessions.

"Giving older Americans and persons with disabilities who rely on Medicare the coverage they need for counseling treatments that can aid them in quitting will have a positive impact on their health and quality of life," said CMS Administrator Don Berwick, MD, in a prepared statement. "As a result, all Medicare beneficiaries now have more help to avoid the painful -- and often deadly -- consequences of tobacco use."

HHS will issue guidance in the next few months on a Medicaid provision in the ACA that requires states to help pregnant women quit smoking.

Medicare Part D may also cover some prescription drugs used to help you stop smoking. Certain drugs may need to be pre-approved, and you may have a limited number of refills. You will need to check with your Part D drug coverage provider for details of coverage for each drug. Over-the-counter treatments, such as nicotine patches or gum, are not covered.

(Source:Medical News, Smoking & Tobacco, MedPage Today, August 27, 2010)

True for Nicotine Addiction Too

2010-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ignoring stress leads recovering addicts to more cravings.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
University Park, Pa. -- Recovering addicts who avoid coping with stress succumb easily to substance use cravings, making them more likely to relapse during recovery, according to behavioral researchers.

"Cravings are a strong predictor of relapse," said H. Harrington Cleveland, associate professor of human development, Penn State. "The goal of this study is to predict the variation in substance craving in a person on a within-day basis. Because recovery must be maintained 'one day at a time,' researchers have to understand it on the same daily level."

Cleveland and his colleague Kitty S. Harris, director, Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery, Texas Tech University, used data from a daily diary study of college students who are recovering addicts to identify the processes that trigger cravings and prevent some addicts from building a sustained recovery.

The researchers found that how addicts cope with stress -- either by working through a problem or avoiding it -- is a strong predictor of whether they will experience cravings when faced with stress and negative mood.

"Whether you avoid problems or analyze problems not only makes a big difference in your life but also has a powerful impact on someone who has worked hard to stay away from alcohol and other drugs," explained Cleveland. "When faced with stress, addicts who have more adaptive coping skills appear to have a better chance of staying in recovery." The findings appeared in a recent issue of Addictive Behaviors.

Researchers supplied Palm Pilots to 55 college students who were in recovery from substance abuse ranging from alcohol to cocaine and club drugs. The students were asked to record the their daily cravings for alcohol and other drugs, as well as the intensity of negative social experiences -- hostility, insensitivity, interference, and ridicule -- and their general strategies for coping with stress.

"We looked at variations in the number of cravings across days and found that these variations are predicted by stressful experiences," said Cleveland. "More importantly, we found that the strength of the daily link between experiencing stress and the level of cravings experienced is related to the participants' reliance on avoidance coping."

Statistical analyses of the survey data suggests that the magnitude of the link between having a stressful day and experiencing substance use cravings doubles for recovering addicts who cope with stress by avoiding it.

"We found that addicts who deal with stress by avoiding it have twice the number of cravings in a stressful day compared to persons who use problem solving strategies to understand and deal with the stress," explained Cleveland. "Avoidance coping appears to undercut a person's ability to deal with stress and exposes that person to variations in craving that could impact recovery from addiction."

According to Cleveland, the findings suggest the impulse to avoid stress is never going to help recovering addicts because stressful experiences cannot be avoided.

"If your basic life strategy is to avoid stress, then your problems will probably end up multiplying and causing more problems," he added.

The Pennsylvania State University © 2002-2010 Penn State: Making Life Better

FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products: A Common Sense Law to Protect Kids and Save Lives

2010-06-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products:
A Common Sense Law to Protect Kids and Save Lives
On June 22, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. This landmark law ended the special protection from regulation that the tobacco industry enjoyed for decades and represents a milestone in protecting America’s children and health from the devastating consequences of tobacco use.
On June 11, 2009, the U.S. Senate voted 79-17 to approve the bill, H.R. 1256/S. 982. On June 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 307 to 97 to approve the identical bill. The legislation was sponsored by U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) and the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
Why This Law Is Needed
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 Americans and resulting in $96 billion in health care costs every year. Every day, more than 3,500 kids try a cigarette for the first time, and about 1,000 other kids become daily smokers. One-third of these kids will eventually die prematurely as a result of their addiction.
Until the new law was enacted, tobacco products had escaped regulation despite their devastating toll in health, lives and dollars. They were exempt from basic consumer protections, such as ingredient disclosure, product testing and restrictions on marketing to children.
What the Law Does
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act grants the FDA authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products.
Tobacco products are not regulated under the “safe and effective” standard currently used for other products under the agency’s purview, but under a new standard – “appropriate for the protection of the public health.”
The law:
1. Restricts tobacco marketing and sales to youth – The law includes specific restrictions on youth access and marketing and grants FDA authority to take additional actions in the future to protect the public health. The regulations are effective on June 22, 2010. These regulations:
•
Ban all remaining tobacco-brand sponsorships of sports and entertainment events,
•
Ban free giveaways of any non-tobacco items with the purchase of a tobacco product or in exchange for coupons or proof of purchase,
•
Limit advertising in publications with significant teen readership as well as outdoor and point-of-sale advertising, except in adult-only facilities,
to black-and-white text only, 1
•
Ban outdoor advertising near schools and playgrounds after further FDA review, 2
•
Restrict vending machines and self-service displays to adult-only facilities, and
1400 I Street NW · Suite 1200 · Washington, DC 20005
Phone (202) 296-5469 · Fax (202) 296-5427 · www.tobaccofreekids.org
FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products: A Common-Sense Plan to Protect Kids and Save Lives / 2
•
Require retailers to verify age for all over-the-counter sales and provide for federal enforcement and penalties against retailers who sell to minors.
2. Grants the FDA authority to further restrict tobacco marketing – The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has the authority to develop regulations that impose restrictions on the advertising and promotion of tobacco products consistent with and to the full extent permitted by the First Amendment to the Constitution. These regulations would be based on whether they are appropriate for the protection of the public health. This authority gives the agency the flexibility to respond to inevitable tobacco industry attempts to circumvent specific restrictions.
3. Requires detailed disclosure of ingredients, nicotine and harmful smoke constituents – Tobacco companies are now required to provide the FDA with information about their products. This information will allow the agency to determine how best to reduce the harm they cause and to better educate the public about the health effects of tobacco use and the dozens of toxic substances in tobacco products. For example, tobacco companies are required to disclose to the FDA the ingredients in each existing tobacco product by brand and by quantity in each brand, including all smoke constituents. They must also inform the FDA of any changes to the product.
4. Allows FDA to require changes to tobacco products to protect the public health – The FDA has the authority to require changes in current and future tobacco products, such as the reduction or elimination of harmful ingredients, additives and constituents, if it determines that these changes will protect public health. FDA has the authority to change nicotine yields; Congress maintains the authority to ban nicotine completely.
5. Regulates “reduced harm” claims about tobacco products to prevent inaccurate and misleading claims – The law prohibits the use of descriptors, such as “light”, “mild” and “low,” to characterize a product on labels or in advertising. In addition, a manufacturer must first file an application and receive an order before marketing any tobacco product as presenting a “modified risk.” FDA has the authority to review the marketing of such products and determine if the applicant demonstrates that the product, as actually used by consumers, will significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population as a whole – taking into account both users of tobacco products and persons who do not currently use tobacco products.
6. Requires bigger, bolder health warnings – Beginning on June 22, 2010, the law requires large text warning labels for smokeless tobacco products that take up at least 30 percent of each principal display panel of the package and at least 20 percent of advertisements. By 2012, the law requires large, graphic cigarette warning labels that cover the top 50 percent of the front and rear panels of the cigarette pack and at least 20 percent of advertisements. The FDA has the authority to revise labeling requirements, allowing the agency to require labels based on the best available science without new action by Congress.
7. Fully funds FDA regulation of tobacco products through a user fee on
manufacturers of cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and smokeless tobacco – The law allocates payment of all tobacco product-related FDA costs among the manufacturers of cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and smokeless tobacco products sold in the United States, based on the manufacturers’ respective shares of the entire U.S. tobacco product market.
8. Preserves state and local authority -- The law does not preempt state and local governments from enacting other tobacco control measures, including tobacco taxes, smoke-
FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products: A Common-Sense Plan to Protect Kids and Save Lives / 3
free workplace laws and fire-safety standards for cigarettes. States are free to adopt measures related to the sale, distribution and possession, exposure to, or access to tobacco products. State and local governments have new authority to restrict the time, place and manner of cigarette advertising, consistent with the First Amendment.
Who Supports the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act”?
The law is supported by more than 1,000 public health, faith and other organizations around the country. Supporting organizations include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Surveys found that 70 percent of voters supported the legislation as it was moving through Congress.
June 16, 2010
1. A District Court in Kentucky has ruled that this provision violates the First Amendment (but could be made compliant with relatively minor modifications). FDA is appealing that ruling, but will not be enforcing this provision until the legal issues are resolved. For more about the lawsuit and FDA’s suspended enforcement, see: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm210762.htm.
2. Section 897.30(b) of the FDA’s initial Final Rule called for a total ban on any outdoor cigarette or smokeless ads within 1000 feet of schools or playgrounds. But the new law directed FDA to make changes to this provision prior to the publication of the Final Rule if FDA determined that any modifications were appropriate in light of governing case law regarding the First Amendment and permissible restrictions on commercial speech. On March 19, 2010, FDA published the Final Rule without any provision relating to outdoor ads near schools or playgrounds, at all, but issued a related notice and request for comments on that same topic. See http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ProtectingKidsfromTobacco/RegsRestrictingSale/default.htm.
(Source: Campaign for TOBACCO-FREE Kids)

Secondhand Smoke Puts Pets in Peril

2010-05-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Of all the compelling reasons to quit smoking, this one should make pet lovers sit up and take notice: there's ample scientific evidence to suggest that secondhand cigarette smoke can cause cancer in companion animals. Indoor animals, like small children, don’t have a choice when it comes to breathing in cigarette or cigar smoke.

Cats exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased chance of developing a type of oral cancer commonly found in smokers called “squamous cell carcinoma”, possibly because the carcinogens in smoke can settle on cats’ fur and they can ingest them when they groom themselves. (Tufts University) Smoking may cause or worsen asthma in cats.

Dogs are contracting nasal cancer from their owners who smoke, with long-nosed hounds, such as dachshunds, collies, and greyhounds, most at risk as their snouts filter out the smoke as it is inhaled.

Short nosed dogs such as Pugs, Boxers, and Boston Terriers are more vulnerable to cancer as the smoke inhaled from their owner’s tobacco use goes directly into the lungs and gets trapped there. While some breeds are more susceptible to certain types of cancer, all dogs that live with smokers are at a greater risk for some form of cancer than dogs that live in non-smoking homes.

Dogs are more likely than cats to eat cigarettes, and birds that are let loose in the house may shred and chew on them as well. Pets can show signs of toxicity within 15 to 45 minutes if eating cigarettes or cigarette butts. Death often results.

Prevention
Do not allow pets to be in contact with tobacco or tobacco products.
Do not allow pets to drink from puddles or water sources that have leached tobacco juice in them (such as when a water filled cup has been used as an ashtray or spittoon) since this water can have extremely high concentrations of nicotine.
Keep cigarettes, ashtrays, nicotine gum, nicotine patches (NRT), chewing tobacco, cigars, and pipes away from animals.
If your pet eats any type of tobacco product call your veterinarian immediately. Depending on the animal, your vet may need to induce vomiting or pump the stomach.

If you must smoke please take it outside. Do not smoke around your pet. If you choose to quit for your pet and yourself there is help through the Pike County Tobacco-Free Coalition 570-296-3400 or the free PA Quitline 1-800-QUITNOW

China Scientists find use for Cigarette Butts

2010-05-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chemical extracts from cigarette butts -- so toxic they kill fish -- can be used to protect steel pipes from rusting, a study in China has found.

In a paper published in the American Chemical Society's bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, the scientists in China said they identified nine chemicals after immersing cigarette butts in water.

They applied the extracts to N80, a type of steel used in oil pipes, and found that they protected the steel from rusting.

"The metal surface can be protected and the iron atom's further dissolution can be prevented," they wrote.

The chemicals, including nicotine, appear to be responsible for this anti-corrosion effect, they added.

The research was led by Jun Zhao at Xi'an Jiaotong University's School of Energy and Power Engineering and funded by China's state oil firm China National Petroleum Corporation.

Corrosion of steel pipes used by the oil industry costs oil producers millions of dollars annually to repair or replace.

According to the paper, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts find their way into the environment each year. Apart from being an eyesore, they contain toxins that can kill fish.

"Recycling could solve those problems, but finding practical uses for cigarette butts has been difficult," the researchers wrote.

China, which has 300 million smokers, is the world's largest smoking nation and it consumes a third of the world's cigarettes. Nearly 60 percent of men in China smoke, puffing an average of 15 cigarettes per day.
(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Mirial Fahmy)

DON'T BE MYTH-STIFIED about SMOKELESS TOBACCO

2010-04-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

You don’t smoke it, you don’t swallow it. You put it between your cheek and gum and spit out the brown juice every few minutes. Ok that is pretty disgusting. But so what? After all, it’s called smokeless tobacco you don’t smoke it so it can’t be as bad as inhaling tobacco smoke into your lungs, right?

CHECK THESE 5 MYTHS ABOUT SMOKELESS TOBACCO BEFORE YOU DIP.

Myth One
"Smokeless Tobacco is Safer than Cigarettes."
Unfortunately, smokeless does not mean harmless. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), smokeless tobacco is a significant health risk and not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Users of smokeless tobacco are 50 times more likely to die from throat or mouth cancer than people who don’t dip or chew.

Myth Two
"I Don’t Use the Strong Stuff so I won’t Get Addicted."
The weakest smokeless tobacco products contain nearly as much nicotine as the average cigarette. Ninety percent of users move to the next strongest product.

Myth Three
"I won’t get Cancer Because I don’t Inhale."
Smokeless tobacco contains chemicals to release more of the nicotine into the moist cells that line your mouth tongue and gums. Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer causing agents. Even if you don’t die from oral cancer you may lose all or part of your lips, gums, tongue and jaw.

Myth Four
"Chewing Tobacco is a Symbol of Independence and Toughness."
Dipping or chewing is often the result of giving into pressures around you and that is not independence. When you are addicted to nicotine you are always wondering when you will be able to get it, how you will be able to get it and when you can get it next. It rules your life—not what most people consider independence. You can show your independence by not chewing when others do.

Myth Five
"I’m Young I won’t Have Any Symptoms for Years."
Smokeless tobacco residue stays in your mouth causing bad breath. Tobacco stains teeth yellow. If you chew you are more likely to lose teeth and have cavities. Smokeless tobacco increases blood pressure and heart rate. Within two years smokeless tobacco users develop leukoplakia a white patch in your mouth that can’t be scraped off and may indicate cancer.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the U.S. that does not tax non-cigarette tobacco products, e.g., smokeless, spit/chew, snuff and cigars. According to Campaign for tobacco-Free Kids, increasing taxes on smokeless and other non-cigarette products will secure additional new state revenue and decrease smoking -- especially children. These taxes could generate additional annual revenue of $100 million in Pennsylvania. www.tobaccofreekids.org/winwinwin

Taxing all tobacco products is not only sound public health policy but a smart and predictable way to help boost the economy and generate long-term health savings for Pennsylvania.

EARTH DAY 2010

2010-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY'S 40Th anniversary is April 2O1O. Earth Day focuses on making our global home a better place to live.

Earth Day was founded in 1970 as an environmental teach-in by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson(D)WI, less than 1 year after sparks from a passing rail road train set Ohio's oil and chemical filled Cayuga River on fire, making the river a symbol for out of control pollution.

How is Earth Day relevant to the tobacco blog? Everyone knows that cigarettes are unhealthy. They also have a profound effect on the environment. Cigarette smoke contains up to 4,000 chemicals. In 2004, an Italian study lead by Giovanni Invernizzi from the Tobacco Control Unit of Italy's National Cancer Institute in Milan found that air pollution that comes from cigarettes is 10 times greater than diesel car exhaust.

According to Action on Smoking and Health, the tobacco plant is prone to lots of diseases and insects. Because of this, the plants are often sprayed with chemicals and pesticides including toxins like DDT, Aldrin, and Methyl bromide which is awful for the ozone layer. These chemicals can get into water supplies. Cigarettes also use about 600 million trees a year!

Cigarette filters are NOT biodegradable, so they just linger around. They're not going away.

Cigarettes are the number one littered item worldwide. There is an organization called Prevent Cigarette Litter working to put an end to cigarette litter. Cigarette butts strewn about can be very harmful to wildlife and waterways. A 2008 survey called the Keep America Beautiful Pocket Ashtray Study included over 1,000 smokers and found that 35% litter five or more cigarette butts per pack on the ground. Cigarette butts that are littered and not put out can also cause wildfires and it releases all of those awful 4,000 chemicals into the air.

One problem is a frequent lack of trash receptacles or ashtrays readily available in public. You can write to your city and request more garbage cans and ashtrays in public areas.

Obviously, quitting smoking is the best solution, but if you are having trouble quitting, please smoke responsibly and don't litter your cigarette butts.

(Source: Keen For Green; Cigarettes and the Environment, August 2009.
Yahoo! Who Knew? The Global Village Prepares for the 40Th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 21, 2010.)

What Parents Can Do About Children And Smoking

2010-03-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you expect your children to avoid smoking cigarettes you need to talk with them about your expectations.

Over four million children age 12-17 in the US smoked a cigarette at least once during the previous month. Four thousand children try their first cigarette every day and those children may be as young as ten or eleven.

Fortunately, parents can take a number of effective actions to protect their kids from starting to smoke:

Set a good example. Did you know that children who live with smokers are two to three times more likely to smoke when they become teens? If you smoke, one of the best reasons to stop is the future of your children.

Be honest with your children. Talk about your experience with tobacco. If you smoke, share your struggles to quit with your children. Kids greatly underestimate how difficult it is to quit smoking.

Maintain a smoke-free home. A smoke-free home makes children less likely to smoke, even if their parents smoke. By not allowing anyone to smoke in their homes, parents not only make smoking less convenient for their kids but also make a powerful statement that they believe smoking is undesirable.

Tell your kids that you don’t want them to smoke. Tell your kids how disappointed you’ll be if you find out they’re smoking. Parents’ attitudes, opinions and feelings about their kids’ smoking greatly influence whether or not kids will smoke, even when the parents smoke.

Make sure your children know that tobacco is addictive. Children can become seriously addicted to smoking very quickly, just weeks or even days after first “experimenting” with cigarettes. Signs of addiction include craving a cigarette and feeling nervous when a cigarette isn’t available.

Emphasize the immediate health effects. Most children wrongly believe that smoking will have no direct effect on their health until they reach middle age. Besides the immediate bad breath, irritated eyes and throat, increased heartbeat and blood pressure youth smokers also have respiratory problems, more illness, tooth decay, gum disease and decreased physical performance.

Help your children cope with peer pressure. Rehearse with your child how they can handle a situation in which their friends and classmates pressure them to smoke. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Find out if they smoke. Children of parents who smoke usually have easier access to cigarettes. Teens often smoke their first cigarette with a friend who smokes.

Teach your children about tobacco advertising. Make it clear that the active lifestyles and beautiful people portrayed in many cigarette advertisements are actually truer of nonsmokers. Children also need to be aware that the tobacco companies try to manipulate kids into becoming their future addicted consumers.

Get active in your children’s school and the community. Being involved in your children’s lives is the most important step you can take toward helping them stay smoke-free. Keep your children active and involved in positive activities such as volunteer work, music, dance and physical fitness.

For more about tobacco cessation and prevention, call the Pike County Tobacco-Free Coalition at 570-296-3400. The PA Dept of Health sponsors quit line. The quit line provides free counseling by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Menthol Seems to Reinforce Nicotine Addiction, Researchers Say

2010-02-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2010
Research Summary

Smokers of menthol cigarettes have more trouble quitting than smokers of unflavored cigarettes, according to a new study which concludes that the effects produced my menthol tend to reinforce nicotine addiction.

NPR (National Public Radio) reported January 25 that researcher Jonathan Foulds of the Tobacco Dependency Program at the University of Dentistry and Medicine of New Jersey's School of Public Health noted that menthol -- a cooling agent -- allows smokers to inhale smoke more deeply and ingest more nicotine, "It helps the poison go down smoother, "said Foulds.

A study by Kolawole Okuyemi of the University of Minnesota found that menthol smokers inhale more carbon monoxide, as well. "There is something about menthol that makes it easier to smoke more intensely, "he said.

However, another study by Andrew Hyland of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute did not find a link between having difficulty quitting and menthol use, although he did find that low-income and less educated people had more trouble quitting.

(source: "Join Together (http://www.jointogether.org)."

DOES WINTER'S GRAY HAVE YOU FEELING BLUE?

2010-01-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

I hope this cold doesn't last much longer. All the seasons have their strong points but this second arctic wave, since the beginning of 2010, is taking it's toll. I'm feeling SAD.

It seems that SAD, seasonal affective disorder, has more to do with our instinctive attempt to hunker down, snuggle in, and gather round the hearth fire, than a condition that is physiologically deviant. It is not practical to hibernate in modern times. We have too much to do. So we fight against nature to keep a modern pace.

Our distant ancestors stored food and supplies to prepare for winter. Whole families holed-up through the cold of winter. Picture them around the hearth fire; cooking, eating, weaving, mending, telling stories, playing instruments, sleeping, and generally caring for each other.

This closer to nature behavior may be what we long for on a basic level when we feel fatigued, have low energy, and turn in early during the winter. Most of us can't revert back to our natural cave dwelling behavior. We resist a basic urge for semi-hibernation.

Antidepressants are one way to fight our urge to wind down in winter. But is there another option?

Research has produced tons of literature showing significant energy and mood lift through exercise. Aerobic and weight training exercises are particularly effective. Look it up on google. Type in 'how exercise can fight depression'. Tons of studies show how exercise has major positive effects on our brains.

If we must resist the natural state of gathering 'round the hearth with our families in winter, exercise is one way to wind up for the challenge. But when I feel the need for a little extra sleep, I will not resist!

FREE PATCHES 1-800-QUIT-NOW

2010-01-25T10:43:00.001-08:00

Governor Rendell Proclaims January 24-30 as 'Determined To Quit' week.
The Department of Health will provide free nicotine patches to help Pennsylvanians who are trying to quit tobacco starting Monday, January 25. Kits will be offered--while supplies last--through the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, kits were paid for by funding from a legal settlement with the tobacco industry. No taxpayer funds were used.

The NRT kit promotion is in conjunction with Determined to Quit week, Jan. 24 - 30, as proclaimed by Governor Edward G. Rendell. This week is intended to raise awareness about the many resources available to help residents quit smoking.

Individuals interested in receiving a free NRT kit must call the PA Free Quitline. Quit coaches will ask wheather callers have any medical conditions that would rule out the safe use of nicotine patches. The kit includes a four-week supply of nicotine patches as well as other information to help make the quit attempt successful. Those who qualify must be willing to enroll in the Quitline coaching program and set an actual quit date.

The PA Free Quitline is administered by Free and Clear, a national leader in the development, evaluation and delivery of evidence-based tobacco cessation programs. There is no cost for the phone support, which can range from three to five coaching sessions.

Additional information and support is offered through http://www.determinedtoquit.com/.

Q: HAVE YOU TRIED THE DOH QUITLINE OR WEBSITE?

The Question on Page 5

2010-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been through the tobacco program in Milford knows about the extensive intake form. It's 9 pages long. I call it the nosey intake form. It's part of the process, a price to pay, to join a 'free' program.

Some of the information gathered by the form is useful as a reference for tailoring your personal quit program. Other information is reported to the Department of Health because, of course, they want certain statistics for a program which they fund.

One question that is relevant for most people who are going through the quitting process is on page 5. 'Are you afraid of gaining weight after reducing/quitting smoking?'

Most answer 'YES'. I am surprised when someone answers, 'NO'. Surprised enough to think that they are lying or kidding themselves. In fact, if someone says 'NO', I am likely to give a weak try to change their minds. I think you have to be prepared for the inevitable. Let me put this out there. Quitters do gain weight.

Why?

1. Changes in the body's metabolic rate accounts for some weight gain. On average, smokers have a higher metabolic rate than
non-smokers.

2. Quitters eat more, to satisfying the hand-to-mouth activity that smoking used to satisfy.

3. Quitters crave sweets and consume loads of calories in sugars and simple carbohydrates.

What can you do to prevent gaining loads of weight?

The answer is simple. Exercise. Regularly. And eat right. If you don't want to, no problem. Maybe you're one who answered 'NO' to the question on page 5.
Q: ARE YOU AFRAID OF GAINING WEIGHT AFTER
REDUCING/QUITTING SMOKING?

QUIT NOW - BLOG NOW

2009-07-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

77% OF PENNSYLVANIANS DO NOT SMOKE. JOIN THE CLUB.

We're back! And FREE! The cessation program at Penn State Extension Pike County is back with counseling, support and nicotine replacement. Groups are forming now! Individual counseling is available too. Call (570)296-3400 or visit http://pike.extension.psu.edu.

The national quit line is also an excellent resource. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. It's free. It works. 1-800-784-8669 or www.smokefree.gov. Take control. Breathe Easy. Kick Tobacco. Call now!
1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Blog now! Writing and reaching out are healthy ways to reduce stress.
Q: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH STRESS?