Can Electronic Cigarettes Help You Quit Smoking?

Electronic cigarettes (also called e-cigarettes) are marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco products, such as cigarettes. They are sometimes even marketed as a tool to help you break free from a smoking addiction. Are these claims true? Can e-cigarettes help you quit while still allowing you to smoke?

Smoking During Pregnancy--What are the Risks?

The decreased birth weights seen in infants of mothers who smoke reflect a dose–dependent relationship—the more the woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater the reduction of infant birth weight. These newborns also display signs of stress and drug withdrawal consistent with what has been reported in infants exposed to other drugs.

Nicotine Withdrawal Starts Within Minutes of Smoking

According to researchers, nicotine withdrawal symptoms begin just 30 minutes after a smoker takes his last cigarette.

Smoking May Spark Hunger

When young people take up smoking to regulate their weight, this may prove to be counterproductive. Newly-released research suggests a connection between exposure to nicotine and subsequent weight gain.

Smokers at High Risk of Kidney Cancer

Smokers are 39 percent more likely to develop kidney cancer than nonsmokers, according to a review of 24 studies conducted over the past four decades.

Youth Smoking Impairs Thinking, Memory

Nicotine has been shown to sharpen concentration among adults, but the opposite may be true for young smokers, according to researchers at Yale University.

Now's the Perfect Time to Resolve to Stop Smoking--For Good


Each year, as many as one-third of all smokers make an earnest attempt to kick the habit. Those who succeed say it was THE most important thing they've ever done for themselves. While quitting is tough, it's not impossible...you will, though, need all the help you can get.

How Does Tobacco Affect the Brain?

Like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure. For many tobacco users, long-term brain changes induced by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction—a condition of compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative consequences.

Tobacco Smell, Taste Could Help Prevent Withdrawal

Exposing people trying to quit smoking to the smell and taste of cigarettes could help ease the symptoms of withdrawal, according to researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Smoking and Pregnancy: What Are the Risks?

The adverse effects of smoking may occur in every trimester of pregnancy; they range from spontaneous abortions in the first trimester to increased premature delivery rates and decreased birth weights in the final trimester. The decreased birth weights seen in infants of mothers who smoke reflects a dose-dependent relationship: the more the woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater the reduction of infant birth weight.

Finally Going To Quit Smoking? Learn From Those Who've Successfully Kicked the Habit

Quitting smoking isn't easy--but it's definitely not impossible. Each year more than 3 million Americans kick the smoking habit for good. If you or someone you care about has finally decided to quit, the following advice can help.

Smoking During Pregnancy Causes Genetic Damage

Smoking during pregnancy can damage the chromosomes of the developing fetus, putting the child at increased risk of certain cancers and other problems.

Link Between Teen Smoking and Anxiety Disorders

Can smoking directly affect emotional health? A recent study offers evidence of an association between cigarette smoking during the teen years and developing anxiety disorders during adolescence and early adulthood.