|
|
Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsDecline in Adult Smoking Stalls, Alarming ExpertsSmoking Seems to Backfire on Teens Hoping for a LiftLung Damage From Secondhand Smoke Observed in RatsYouth Tobacco Use Down Since 2000; No Drop Since 2006Nicotine Can Fuel Breast Cancer, Study SuggestsTobacco Depictions in Popular Movies Down Since 2005FDA Mulling Ban on Menthol CigarettesUsing Multiple Tobacco Products Ups Hazards: CDCCigarette Smoke May Up Cancer Risk By Interfering With GenesPersonalized Video May Be Useful Anti-Smoking ToolDecline in U.S. Teen Smoking Rate StallsWomen Urged to Declare Their Independence From TobaccoSmoking May Boost Risk of Certain Colon CancersWhen Parents Smoke, Kids' Weight, Behavior May SufferHealth Professionals Often Do Little to Help Smokers QuitPatients Could Use More Help Quitting SmokingNew Tobacco Regulations to Take EffectPrenatal Smoking Linked to Pregnancy, Infant RisksLifestyle Changes Are No Guarantee Against Alzheimer'sQuitting Smoking Before Pregnancy Could Save Babies' LivesSecondhand Smoke Linked to Psychological DistressSecondhand Smoke a Mental Health Hazard?Certain Smokers More Apt to Quit Over Price HikesSmoking History, Not Symptoms, Predictive of COPDMore Cancer-Causing Chemicals in U.S. CigarettesDoes Mom Need Help to Stop Smoking?Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in KidsSmoking Ups Risk of Second Breast CancerArteries Age Twice as Fast in SmokersSmoking May Be in Your GenesTailored Therapy May Help More Stop SmokingSecondhand Smoke Boosts Sinusitis RiskDepression and Smoking Go Hand in Hand in U.S.Job Stress Might Actually Help You Smoke LessNicotine Withdrawal Can Complicate Hospital CarePathway Can Identify Smokers Most at Risk for Lung CancerState Cigarette Taxes Not Spent on Anti-Smoking EffortsSmoking May Boost MS Risk in SomeWeight Counseling Plus Drug Helps Women Quit SmokingSmoking History Linked to Greater Eye Inflammation RiskFDA Toughens Rules on Tobacco Sales to KidsBlood Vessels Bounce Back Once Smokers QuitSecondhand Smoke Starts Damaging Arteries in ChildhoodCigars, Pipes No 'Healthy' Alternative to CigarettesClinical Trials Update: Feb. 9, 2010'Third-Hand Smoke' Could Be Troublesome, TooWhen Counseling Costs, Response DwindlesExtended Use of Nicotine Patch Linked to BenefitsSmoker's Own Secondhand Smoke Adds to Health RisksPostpartum Period Good Time to Help Parents Quit Smoking Questions and AnswersLinksBook Reviews |
| |
Certain Smokers More Apt to Quit Over Price Hikes
by -- Alan Mozes
Updated: Jun 6th 2010
SUNDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Boosting cigarette taxes can cause smoking rates to plummet among people struggling with alcohol, drug and/or mental disorders, new research suggests.
The study authors found that raising the price of cigarettes by just 10 percent translates into more than an 18 percent drop in smoking among such individuals.
"Whatever we can do to reduce smoking is critical to the health of the U.S.," Dr. Michael Ong, a researcher at the Jonsson Cancer Center at the University of California Los Angeles, said in a news release. "Cigarette taxes are used as a key policy instrument to get people to quit smoking, so understanding whether people will really quit is important. Individuals with alcohol, drug or mental disorders comprise 40 percent of remaining smokers, and there is little literature on how to help these people quit smoking."
Ong and his colleagues reported their findings online May 13 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
The authors noted that smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States.
The current finding stems from a 2000-2001 survey of more than 7,500 men and women, about 23 percent of whom had an alcohol, drug or mental health disorder in the year prior to being polled.
More than four in 10 in that subgroup were smokers, which the authors pointed out is a much higher percentage of smokers than is found among the general public.
Those who were alcohol-dependent did not reduce their cigarette consumption in response to price increases, Ong and his team observed. However, smokers who had binge-drinking problems, substance-abuse problems or mental health disorders were found to be more likely to kick the habit altogether if prices rose.
Nevertheless, the authors cautioned that more research is needed in order to confirm the price-habit connection among these particular groups of smokers.
More information
For more on quitting smoking, visit the American Heart Association.
This article: Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved. |
