About one out of every four parents with small children responds to interventions to help them quit smoking, which is slightly better than the one in five parents who would quit without any special help, according to a new study. Researchers say the results should encourage pediatricians to take advantage of their frequent encounters with parents, and try to get them to start a smoking cessation program. “Because (pediatricians) can make u ... Jump to full article >>

Falling off the wagon when trying to quit smoking may not be bad after all. If you’re resolving to quit smoking, doctors say you’re more likely to succeed if you accept the fact that you are likely to fail. “It’s really important not to just quit on New Year’s. If you try it New Years, and by January 7th, you’re smoking again, just try again,” said Dr. Cheryl Healton, a former smoker who is the president ... Jump to full article >>

The Future Fund is mocking the Government’s anti-smoking laws by continuing to hold a $150 million stake in tobacco companies, the Greens say. The $75 billion fund, which was set up in 2006 to help pay federal public servants’ pensions, also owns $180million of shares in businesses involved in making nuclear weapons. General manager Mark Burgess told the Senate’s finance committee yesterday the fund took its environmental, soci ... Jump to full article >>

If you’ve ever wondered how much cigarette smoke your kids are really exposed to – you’re not alone. A new study led by the Center for Child and Adolescent Health has found that a majority of parents would support testing children for tobacco smoke exposure as part of their primary care visit. Researchers surveyed nearly 500 parents – both smoking and non-smoking – and asked them how they felt about the idea of testing children for tob ... Jump to full article >>

Big news: President Barack Obama has finally quit smoking. It’s about time. What a terrible image from our country’s role-model­in-chief. But now we have a new smoker-in­chief — it’s the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner. He’s known for spending time in “Smoker’s Alley” outside the lobby of the Speaker of the House. And he’s un­apologetic about the image he proj­ects to our nation’s youth. He’s fine with smoking. A ... Jump to full article >>

Smoking is a hard habit to break! As a former smoker, I know this first-hand. So, has relief finally come? This technology may kill the already under fire tobacco industry. So, sadly, my formerly beloved Marlboro Reds may no longer be around for future generations to enjoy. It is said that the e-cigarette simulates smoking so well that even lifelong smokers cannot tell the difference. To make this even more crazy, they claim that they will not ... Jump to full article >>

What exactly is an electronic cigarette? We can tell you what it’s not. Legally, it is not a cigarette, nor is it a nicotine replacement therapy that can help you quit smoking. An e-cigarette is a battery-powered tube that resembles a regular cigarette in look and shape. It does not contain tobacco leaves, but rather houses a battery-operated heating element that turns a refillable, liquid chemical into a vapor mist that is then inhaled into ... Jump to full article >>

A North Dakota anti-tobacco agency says it’s making progress in helping people to quit smoking. Director Jeanne (JEE’-nee) Prom says the number of North Dakotans who enrolled in a tobacco “quit line” program almost doubled in the last year. More than 2,300 people signed up, and Prom believes it’s because of efforts by local health agencies. Lake Region State College and the Minot Job Corps center have gone tobacco-f ... Jump to full article >>

Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among people who want to quit smoking, but an opinion piece released Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine highlights the potential hazards of e-cigarettes, suggesting they may not be as benign as they may seem. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that allow users to inhale a vapor that contains nicotine and supposedly fewer toxins than real cigarettes. In studies, health-r ... Jump to full article >>

In April, the Federal Government sprung a surprise 25 per cent tax rise, which has been credited with 30 per cent more people trying to quit smoking. Two months after the tax increase, a Galaxy survey of 1258 smokers found 38 per cent had tried to give up, compared with 29 per cent in the three months before the price rise. A further 29 per cent had cut down and 9 per cent had stopped. Flinders University smoking cessation expert Associate Profe ... Jump to full article >>