Michael Bloomberg, three term mayor of New York City, signed his final final bills into law Monday. Among them was new restrictions on e-cigarettes.
Moderate Levels of Secondhand Smoke Deliver Nicotine to the Brain
May 7, 2011 | by
Exposure to secondhand smoke, such as a person can get by riding in an enclosed car while someone else smokes, has a direct, measurable impact on the brain — and the effect is similar to what happens in the brain of the person doing the smoking. In fact, exposure to this secondhand smoke evokes cravings among smokers, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The study, published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, used positron emission tomography (PET) to demonstrate that one hour of secondhand smoke in an enclosed space results in enough nicotine reaching the brain to bind receptors that are normally targeted by direct exposure to tobacco smoke [1]. This happens in the brain of both smokers and non-smokers.
QuitWinLive – The Great American Smokeout
November 15, 2007 | by
Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) celebrates the Great American Smokeout, an annual event in the U.S. to encourage Americans to quit smoking. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2006 one in five U.S. adults smoked [1]. The Great American Smokeout challenges those people to smoke less or quit smoking for the day. The event also raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good.
The ACS has just wrapped up their first ever video contest on YouTube, where they asked people to create videos – one minute or less – to discourage smoking. You can check out the contest winners at the American Cancer Society.
You can also read more about the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco smoke in these articles here at Highlight HEALTH:
- Smoking Duration vs. Intensity and the Impact on Lung Cancer Risk
- Irreversible Gene Expression Changes From Smoking
- Smoking Cessation Timeline: What Happens When You Quit
- Second-hand Smoke Exposure Linked to Psychological Problems in Children
Accept the Great American Smokeout Challenge.
Quit for one day, or quit for good.
References
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Cigarette smoking among adults–United States, 2006. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007 Nov 9;56(44):1157-61.
View abstract
Smoking Cessation Timeline: What Happens When You Quit
August 30, 2007 | by
In the U.S., one-quarter of adults 18 years of age and older smoke cigarettes [1]. Smoking is truly a deadly habit. With about 4000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke, more than 50 of them are known to cause cancer. According to the World Health Organization, every six seconds someone in the world dies from tobacco use [2].
How’s this for bad odds: tobacco kills 50% of its regular users. One out of every two regular smokers will die from smoking [2].
In addition, an estimated 200,000 people die every year due to second-hand smoke exposure at work. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that second-hand smoke is responsible for approximately 3000 lung cancer deaths annually among non-smokers [2]. Additionally, new research has linked second-hand smoke exposure to psychological problems in children, including attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder.
The best time to quit smoking is RIGHT NOW. And while quitting is tough, you can start counting the benefits of not smoking in as little as 20 minutes. Here’s what happens to your body when you quit smoking [3-5]:
Second-hand Smoke Exposure Linked to Psychological Problems in Children
June 29, 2007 | by
The first evidence linking mothers’ second-hand smoke exposure while pregnant to their child’s attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder has been published in the current issue of Child Psychiatry and Human Development. ADHD and conduct disorder behaviors are called externalizing psychopathology with symtoms that include aggressive behavior, ADHD, defiance and conduct disorder.
