Tobacco & Marijuana

U.S. FDA restricts tobacco marketing to kids

U.S. health officials on Thursday sought to clamp down on the marketing of cigarettes to children and teenagers, issuing national limits on vending machine…    

Asian Smokers Use Quitlines

Telephone counseling programs for smoking cessation, popularly known as “quitlines,” are an increasingly common way for smokers to quit. Every state in the…    

Obesity, passive smoking dangerous for unborn child

Babies born to obese mothers and exposed to passive smoking are more likely to face health problems, a new study claims.

The…    

Smokers Who Quit Gradually or Cold Turkey Have Similar Success

Although many smokers try to quit by selecting a “quit day” and going cold turkey, a new Cochrane review finds that quitting gradually might…    

Years of smoking associated with lower Parkinson’s risk, not number of cigarettes per day

Researchers have new insight into the relationship between Parkinson’s disease and smoking. Several studies have shown that smokers have a lower risk of developing…    

“Big Tobacco” still on the march, WHO warns

Governments must do more to protect workers in bars, restaurants and the entertainment sector from harmful smoke, and curb tobacco advertising and sponsorship, the…    

Swedish snuff just as addictive as cigarettes

People who use smokeless tobacco, or “snuff,” are just as hooked on nicotine as cigarette smokers, if not more so, new research from Sweden…    

USC Expert on Medical Marijuana Available

Expertise related to medical marijuana issues:
• Social and economic impact
• Pros, cons, and ramifications of legalizing medical marijuana…    

Are non-smokers smarter than smokers?

Cigarette smokers have lower IQs than non-smokers, and the more a person smokes, the lower their IQ, a study in over 20,000 Israeli military…    

Inadequate access to opioid-based pain relief is a human rights issue for cancer patients

Many cancer patients in Europe are being denied access to adequate pain relief because of over-zealous regulations restricting the availability and accessibility of opioid-based…    

Studies Show Marijuana Has Therapeutic Value

Researchers from the University of California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) have found “reasonable evidence that cannabis is a promising treatment” for some…    

Quitting smoking especially difficult for select groups

With the national trend toward quitting smoking flat, psychologists are finding some success with treatments aimed at helping smokers from underserved groups, including racial…    

Spanish-Language Ads Get Message Across for Smoking Quit Lines

It pays to advertise. It especially pays to advertise in Spanish if you want Spanish speakers to use a telephone helpline to quit…    

Secondhand smoke raises TB risk: study

Smoking has long been known to boost tuberculosis risk, and a new study from Hong Kong suggests that being exposed to someone else’s tobacco…    

Nicotine replacement therapy is over-promoted since most ex-smokers quit unassisted

Health authorities should emphasize the positive message that the most successful method used by most ex-smokers is unassisted cessation, despite the promotion of cessation…    

Longer nicotine-patch therapy may extend abstinence

Smokers who use nicotine patches for longer than the standard eight weeks may stay off of cigarettes for a longer period as well, a…    

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

There are so many reasons to quit smoking, and absolutely none to continue smoking. Sure, you may enjoy smoking, but the addiction is doing…    

Cutting caffeine won’t quiet ringing in the ears

If you suffer from ringing in the ears, imbibing caffeine won’t make it worse, and giving up caffeinated beverages won’t make it better,…    

Secondhand smoke may disrupt asthmatic kids’ sleep

Children with asthma may have a harder time getting a good night’s sleep if they live with a smoker.

Researchers found that…    

Even legitimate opioid use may cause overdose

Perhaps it’s not surprising, but people who take high doses of opioid painkillers even for legitimate medical reasons are at risk of overdosing, new…    

Five Reasons People Start and Continue to Smoke

It’s the advice we hear from cradle to grave these days, from teachers, parents, the media, and everyone in between. So why is it…    

US judge OKs imports of e-cigarettes, blasts FDA

A U.S. judge on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction barring the Obama administration from trying to regulate electronic cigarettes and prevent them from being…    

Poor People Consume More Tobacco

Following a new scientific study, German researchers at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), in Berlin, report a new correlation between the wealth status of…    

Health in middle age affects life expectancy

Poor health and habits such as smoking in middle age too often lead to early death for men, researchers warn today.

The…    

Smoking Cigarettes Erases Life Span Gap Between Rich, Poor

According to a new study, smoking cigarettes more than erases the gap in terms of average life spans for people who are rich…