Smoking

Nicotine's hold on the brain is not easily broken, as the struggles of President Obama -- a very self-disciplined man by all accounts -- illustrate. Many would-be quitters, like the president, relapse when the appeal of nicotine is simply too strong. For the vast majority who can't go it alone, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are developing new treatments that can help.

Nicotine is so addictive that many smokers who want to stop just can't give up cigarettes. Even with help, stopping can be hard. You may need to try several times before you stop for good. Keep in mind that out of every 100 people who try, only between 5 and 10 will actually be able to stop smoking on their own. The main thing is to keep trying and to get help if you need it.

The addictive power of smoking may lie not only in tobacco's nicotine content but also in the way it enhances other experiences, according to new research.

Smokers cling to the ciggies for dear life, knowing it will likely be a much shorter one. An anti-smoking drug released in Australia targets nicotine receptors in the brain, working differently to traditional nicotine replacement therapies. But are we too fixed on a quick fix for addiction?

So Renay embarked on a plan to quit. Her strategy was to take herself out of her usual routine.. a trip helped her kick start her plan by taking her mind off smoking entirely. "It was much easier after I came back." Renay also set aside the money she spent on cigarettes in a piggy bank, finding herself about $70 richer at the end of each week.

I’d heard it was the most effective stop-smoking drug yet. So I took it. Then those reports of suicidal ideation began washing in. By Derek de Koff, New York Magazine.

Most things in life have risk. Some things are riskier than others. Cigarette smoking, in particular has been associated with various cancers, heart disease, and emphysema.

Based on a Finnish study, persistent smokers may have higher risk to become depressed in comparison to never smokers. Also those smokers who quit have an elevated risk of depressive symptoms in short run.

Most smokers say they would welcome ways to integrate their personal spiritual beliefs into their attempts to quit smoking cigarettes, and research suggests that a spiritual component could improve the odds of quitting.

Smokers who experience the biggest dropoff in craving after their first cigarette of the day tend to have the hardest time quitting, according to research conducted by the Yale School of Medicine.