Addiction Treatment

magazine

Previous research has shown that navigating social situations that provide smoking cues is critical in helping smokers give up cigarettes. Some medications, such as bupropion and varenicline, may be helpful in resisting cravings, according to two new studies published in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. ...

A new study has found that heavy smokers who enter residential treatment for nicotine addiction are more likely to remain abstinent from smoking for six months, compared to those who go through outpatient treatment. The study found that 52 percent of the patients remained abstinent from smoking six months after residential treatment, compared to 26 percent who went through outpatient treatment. Co-author Ta ...

Treatment for nicotine addiction takes many forms. While patches, gum and even hypnosis have been on the market for years as methods to quell cravings for cigarettes, smokers often find that the cravings keep winning. Those who want to quit smoking are looking for more help in battling the temptation to smoke. ...

Smokers who want to give up tobacco are often faced with a difficult challenge. Their social lives are peppered with reminders of the habit they are trying to eliminate, such as friends lingering outside a gathering to smoke or having coffee with a buddy that is usually paired with a cigarette. Understanding the types of influences that affect smoking behavior decisions is very important for helping smokers ...

One of the more recent FDA-approved drugs for smoking cessation is Varenicline, sold by the brand name Chantix, and is showing promising results. Not only does it help curb withdrawal symptoms, but it makes smoking less enjoyable if the user begins the habit again – all without giving the user any nicotine. ...

Research has shown that those who smoke are causing great damage to their physical bodies, especially increasing their risk of developing lung cancer. Carcinogens applied directly to lung tissue through smoking are proven to be very dangerous. One area that has not been thoroughly explored, however, is whether a low-level tobacco exposure creates cause for concern. ...

Coffee, then a cigarette. Cocktails at a social event, and a cigarette. Drive the car, light up a cigarette.Known as situational cravings, many normal activities can make quitting smoking intensely difficult for nicotine users. Everyday actions, whether performed independently or in social situations, can trigger very strong cravings for a cigarette and are a major reason people relapse when trying to kick ...

The statistics are so staggering, they’re enough to make a smoker want to crush out that butt and quit for good. If it were only that easy - but it’s not. Nicotine is responsible for the addictive effects of cigarette smoking. And this is a growing global healthcare crisis. Not only does it cost billions in excess medical costs and lost productivity, millions are dying. ...

There are many facets influencing the choice to light up a cigarette. Some are biological, such as the craving for nicotine or anxiety creeping up. Others are environmental, such as social cues to smoke with friends during a work break or while out together on the weekend. ...

One of the biggest arguments against the tobacco companies is not that they created a product that appeals to the masses and creates health problems, but that they knowingly made the product addictive. A number of initiatives have been launched in recent years to try and reduce the number of smokers and therefore the economic impact on the health care industry. Now, researchers are looking at targeting the ...