Characteristics of the study:
25 women were evaluated over the course of six days and were exposed to three different situations.
The three situations were: smoking the amount they normally smoked, smoking 50 percent less than they normally smoked and smoking an increased amount.
Participants of the study included 13 black women and 12 white women.
The women were given their regular brands of cigarettes to smoke.
Researchers paid close attention to the way women smoked, which they referred to as "smoking topography." They particularly focused on the number and size of puffs per cigarette; the amount of time lapsed between puffs and to what extent the cigarette was smoked before it was put out.
Results of the study include:
In restricted environments women tended to take longer drags and smoked more of the cigarette before extinguishing it. When the women smoked fewer cigarettes, they exhaled more CO per cigarette, compared to when they smoked their normal number of cigarettes or increased the number of cigarettes they smoked.
Efficient smokers had higher levels of CO and nicotine.
Black women were shown to have greater traces of carbon monoxide levels than the white women in all three of the smoking scenarios.
Various patches, gums and other prescription items were noted as the best alternatives to satisfying cravings. Based on the study, researchers concluded that the people who smoke half a pack a day might be just as addicted to cigarettes as the person who smokes many more cigarettes a day.
Pharmacolgical Biochemisty Behavior April, 2004;77(4):685-93
I had always contended that sugar is more dangerous than cigarettes and that it was far healthier to optimize one's diet before addressing nicotine addiction. However, it obviously is wise to not smoke--but if one decides to stop smoking the best route is cold turkey and not gradual reduction.
Smokers frequently use cigarettes as a form of emotional support and I could not recommend more highly the new brain wave entrainment therapy that we have recently started offering. It is really inexpensive and is a marvelous tool to help people address their addictive tendencies.
Similar to the study mentioned above, past studies have shown that even smokers who cut down on their cigarettes don’t decrease their risk of cancer.
So, the key here is that when you decide to quit, do it completely.
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