A recent study, published in Nature Genetics, reveals that smoking and drinking addictions may result from a complex blend of genes and environmental influences, and are genetically correlated to other health issues and diseases.
Doctors ask patients about smoking habits for the same reason they check weight, blood pressure, breathing and heart beat during a visit.
Thomas J. Gould, head of the Department of Biobehavioral Health in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State, has been named a fellow of the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT) for his contributions to nicotine research and his service to SRNT.
Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine and College of Agricultural Sciences report a method for measuring free radicals in cigarette smoke that could help improve our understanding of the relationship between these substances and health.
Thomas Gould, head of the Department of Biobehavioral Health, has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of genes in nicotine withdrawal.
Electronic cigarettes produce highly-reactive free radicals – molecules associated with cell damage and cancer – and may pose a health risk to users, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.
Use of electronic cigarettes — or e-cigs, for short — has increased among adolescents, but the jury is still out on how many young people are becoming addicted, and how harmful they are for both young people and adults, relative to cigarettes.
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced it intends to require warning labels and child-resistant packaging on liquid nicotine products such as those used in e-cigarettes. But a professor of public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine says nicotine poisoning is not a new problem.
Cigarettes have been convicted of many crimes over the years. But the jury's still out on whether their younger, more fashionable cousins -- electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes -- will meet the same fate.
The number of teens who abuse tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other substances hasn’t changed much in the past couple of decades – but for those who are prone to addiction for one reason or another, the menu of substances to choose from is larger than ever. Parents have to educate themselves about more than simply cigarettes, pot and other street drugs.
Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s Tobacco Intervention Program, or TIP, support group meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Monday evening at the University Conference Center on the Penn State Hershey campus. The free group sessions guide participants from decision-making to quitting through relapse prevention. Interested individuals should call 1-800-243-1455 to register and for directions.
Children admitted to the hospital for asthma are likely to be readmitted within a year if they are exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a study led by Dr. Judie Howrylak and Dr. Adam Spanier of Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.
Penn State College of Medicine is one of 14 institutions nationwide named a Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS). This $20 million, five-year U.S. Food and Drug Administration/National Institutes of Health grant will fund research to help the FDA develop new and effective regulatory strategies for reducing the harm to health from tobacco products in the United States.
Penn State Hershey Respiratory Care is offering free tobacco cessation classes. Sessions are held at 6:30 p.m. every Monday and participants are invited to join the class at any time. Classes are held in the West Campus Health and Wellness Center on the campus of Penn State Hershey Medical Center. For more information or to register, call the CareLine at 1-800-243-1455.
Penn State Hershey Medical Group -- Fishburn Road has been recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) for successfully completing a Tobacco Cessation Office Champions pilot project. The practice implemented a series of system changes to integrate tobacco cessation activities into daily office routines and create a culture that encourages patients to quit smoking.
