This book constitutes a major new resource for professionals working with hard core smokers and their families. It is designed as a practical, clinically useful and up-to-date guide for all those in a position to intervene: mental health professionals, physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, clergy, human resource and employee assistance program corporate staff, and teachers and guidance counselors. New research suggests that difficult-to-treat smokers often have emotional problems adjusting to stopping smoking. Some also have psychiatric diagnoses or abuse other substances. These are factors which interfere with their efforts to quit. Because these difficulties have been poorly understood, hard-core smokers have not been provided with adequate resources and skills to overcome their addiction. These smokers are in need of increasingly comprehensive assessment and treatment. Despite massive public health education about the dangers of cigarette smoking, rates of smoking among the population are no longer declining in the United States and the success rates of clinical programs for smokers remain low. Helping the Hard-Core Smoker seeks to explain why current approaches are often inadequate and how best to help today's highly nicotine-dependent smokers who are struggling with their addiction quit.

This book constitutes a major new resource for professionals working with hard core smokers and their families. It is designed as a practical, clinically useful and up-to-date guide for all those in a position to intervene: mental health professionals, physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, clergy, human resource and employee assistance program corporate staff, and teachers and guidance counselors. New research suggests that difficult-to-treat smokers often have emotional problems adjusting to stopping smoking. Some also have psychiatric diagnoses or abuse other substances. These are factors which interfere with their efforts to quit. Because these difficulties have been poorly understood, hard-core smokers have not been provided with adequate resources and skills to overcome their addiction. These smokers are in need of increasingly comprehensive assessment and treatment. Despite massive public health education about the dangers of cigarette smoking, rates of smoking among the population are no longer declining in the United States and the success rates of clinical programs for smokers remain low. Helping the Hard-Core Smoker seeks to explain why current approaches are often inadequate and how best to help today's highly nicotine-dependent smokers who are struggling with their addiction quit.

The author offers a step-by-step approach to stop smoking without the use of nicotine substitutes.

This monograph is derived from papers presented at a conference on smoking behavior convened at the University of California at Los Angeles, June 24 and 25, 1977. Ms. Toby-Ann Cronin played a critical role in the coordination of the conference and in the development of this publication with UCLA.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

Tobacco use kills more people than any other addiction and we know that addiction starts in childhood and youth. We all agree that youths should not smoke, but how can this be accomplished? What prevention messages will they find compelling? What effect does tobacco advertisingâ€"more than $10 million worth every dayâ€"have on youths? Can we responsibly and effectively restrict their access to tobacco products? These questions and more are addressed in Growing Up Tobacco Free, prepared by the Institute of Medicine to help everyone understand the troubling issues surrounding youths and tobacco use. Growing Up Tobacco Free provides a readable explanation of nicotine's effects and the process of addiction, and documents the search for an effective approach to preventing the use of cigarettes, chewing and spitting tobacco, and snuff by children and youths. It covers the results of recent initiatives to limit young people's access to tobacco and discusses approaches to controls or bans on tobacco sales, price sensitivity among adolescents, and arguments for and against taxation as a prevention strategy for tobacco use. The controversial area of tobacco advertising is thoroughly examined. With clear guidelines for public action, everyone can benefit by reading and acting on the messages in this comprehensive and compelling book.