Research

Carbon monoxide test helps doctors determine patients' smoking status
Since smokers in the midst of cessation may not always be truthful in their self-reports of smoking, a new device that monitors smoking by detecting carbon monoxide in the blood could be a useful tool to help doctors identify smoking in their patients. The pulse cooximeter, a device traditionally used to observe carbon monoxide levels in firefighters, is an inexpensive, noninvasive test that was presented at the recent American College of Chest Physicians Meeting (CHEST). Click here for the press release.

NRT 'doubles quit rate on its own'
According to a multinational study of smokers in the UK, France, Spain and North America, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) appears to drastically improve success in cessation attempts. Smokers voluntarily choosing to quit were followed over six months. Even without behavioral therapy, those using NRT were twice as successful in long-term cessation as those who quit unassisted. Read more about the findings here. Read the paper published in Thorax by clicking here.

Anti-smoking shot helps some smokers quit
A vaccine that prevents nicotine from cigarettes from getting to the brain showed promising results in a recent clinical trial. The vaccine, called NicVAX, would eliminate the “buzz” that smokers experience when lighting up. At 15%, one-year quit rates in the drug trial were comparable to other cessation methods, but the quit rates with NicVAX were lower than the 22% one-year quit rate in a study testing Chantix, a drug that works in a similar way and is currently on the market. Get more information here about the clinical trial, or click here for the drug company’s website.

PDAs helping smokers quit
A pilot program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is using the personal digital assistant (PDA) to assist smokers to continue their cessation effort outside the hospital. The handheld device delivers tips to quitters such as how to avoid triggers for smoking and help dealing with withdrawal symptoms. This innovative program provides support through the PDA whenever the urge to smoke strikes, which may help improve successful quit rates after inpatient treatment. Click here to learn more about this innovation.

Why quitting smoking is so difficult
Several recent research studies have identified some neurological reasons for tobacco addiction, decision making in smokers, and other tobacco-related physiological responses to explain why cessation has such a high failure rate. One study showed that rats exposed to nicotine during adolescence had both immediate and long-term behavioral effects such as depression and an altered response to stress. Another study mapped the effects of nicotine withdrawal to specific areas of the brain, while yet another study examined the role of melatonin in addiction. Read a discussion of these studies’ results here.

Smokers go for broke while quitters save
A recent Australian study published in the American Journal of Public Health examined the financial implications of smoking. Using data collected from the 2001-2004 Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, researchers compared financial stress in smokers versus nonsmokers. Findings showed that smokers who had quit were 42 percent less likely than smokers to be under financial hardship. This information could be useful to tobacco cessation campaigns as an incentive for smokers to quit. Find out more here. Read the abstract in the American Journal of Public Health by clicking here.

Nicotine addiction slashed in test of new cigarette smoking strategy
A recent clinical trial has achieved the first success in reducing nicotine dependency while allowing smokers to continue smoking. Currently, the products tobacco companies market as low nicotine alternatives do not actually reduce the amount of nicotine being taken in. This study provided cigarettes to smokers that gradually decreased the amount of nicotine in their cigarettes over six weeks. At the end of the study, 25% of the smokers had quit. Those who continued to smoke returned to their usual full-nicotine cigarettes, but smoked an average of 40% fewer cigarettes. Thus, if tobacco companies reduced the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, a similar reduction in addition might be realized. Click here to read more.

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National

Pfizer anti-smoking drug under FDA safety review
Amid reports side effects of depression, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and at least one death linked to Chantix, the drug is under review by the Food and Drug Administration. After recent public health scares related to the drugs Vioxx and Avandia, the FDA has alerted the public of the potential problem with Chantix. While there may not be a causal link between the drug and purported side effects, and the FDA has not yet come to a decision, doctors are advised to carefully monitor patients while they are taking Chantix. Click here for more details.

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