How to Ditch Cigarettes Without Gaining Weight


Updated 10/27/11 7:41 PM · Posted by · 3 comments

How to Quit Smoking and Not Gain Weight

Quitting cigarettes can be tough to endure; nicotine is so addictive. That's why we're thrilled to hear Jennifer Aniston is putting herself on the nonsmoker list. People reports that in a recent press conference Jen said: "And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds." It's common when quitting smoking to put on a little weight since Read more

Don't Inhale! The Truth About Secondhand Smoke


Updated 08/30/11 10:50 AM · Posted by LilSugar · 0 comments

Secondhand Smoke and Babies

It's a given (hopefully) that pregnant women and kids don't light up. There's been enough consciousness raising about the dangers associated with cigarette smoking that if an adult decides to smoke — while knowing all the risks — that's their business. Or is it? The harmful effects of secondhand smoke on children and expectant mamas are pretty unsettling. Test your knowledge on what Read more

Hypnosis Proving to Offer Health Benefits, Studies Say


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by · 3 comments

Therapeutic Hypnosis's Health Benefits

When I hear the word hypnosis, a man swinging a pendulum in front of a person squawking like a chicken is what comes to mind. Stage hypnosis, performed by entertainers, is vastly different than therapeutic hypnosis, which is used to improve a person's well-being. Over the last 10 years hypnosis has gained more recognition because more and more research shows hypnotherapy can effectively treat Read more

Should Cigarettes Be Prescription-Only?


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 8 comments

Iceland May Start Prescribing Cigarettes

Faced with a worrisome increase in young smokers, Iceland's government has come up with something a little radical — prescription-only cigarettes. The country has proposed a new law that would make it illegal to buy cigarettes without a prescription from a doctor and would make cigarettes available only from pharmacies. The government hopes this practice will cut the amount of smokers from 15 Read more

US Restaurants, Bars, and Workplaces Could Be Smoke Free by 2020


Updated 04/24/11 4:33 PM · Posted by · 30 comments

Most Public Places to Be Covered by Smoking Bans by 2020

With smoking-related deaths on the rise, US health officials are predicting that smoking bans will cover all US workplaces, bars, and restaurants by 2020. As of December 2010, the CDC reports that 26 US states had imposed comprehensive smoke-free laws and that nearly half of the country's residents were covered by some sort of state or local smoke-free laws. The laws have certainly come a long Read more

DrSugar Answers: How Dangerous Is Social Smoking?


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 2 comments

The Health Risks of Social Smoking

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's reminding us that smoking, even in moderation, is a habit worth breaking. Dear DrSugar, I don't consider myself a smoker, but do smoke socially. I have three or four cigarettes almost every weekend — I tend to smoke when I have a few drinks. I don't think this is dangerous, but am wondering just how bad this is for my health? One Social Smoker Thank you Read more

Could Cigarettes' Negative Sexual Side Effects Make Smokers Consider Quitting?


Updated 03/14/11 10:40 AM · Posted by · 0 comments

Smoking's Negative Sexual Side Effects

The post-coital cigarette is something of legend, but have too many, and you might not have many chances to light up after sex. Smokers are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction and nicotine impacts blood flow to lady parts, too. Quitting smoking is hard because it forces us to put off immediate gratification. The latest episode of Radio Lab explores this challenge and follows Read more

Does Onscreen Smoking Make You Want to Light Up?


Updated 01/19/11 6:09 PM · Posted by · 14 comments

Effects of Watching Smoking on TV and in Movies

There's a reason there are laws to regulate when cigarette smoking is shown on TV and in movies: watching it is addicting. Now a new study found viewing a character smoke on screen stimulates the brain's action-planning center, leaving us contemplating a walk to the nearest corner store. Smoking has a short but sexy history, so when you watch shows like Mad Men or Boardwalk Empire, nostalgic Read more

DrSugar Answers: Nicotine Withdrawal From Secondhand Smoke?


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 1 comment

Can I Experience Nicotine Withdrawal From Secondhand Smoke: A Doctor Answers

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, My partner has been smoking since he was in high school and he is 27 now. He has been smoking about two packs a day and is trying to stop. This weekend he has cut down on the amount he smokes. Last night, both he and I had trouble staying asleep. I was wondering if his smoking has been affecting me too? And Read more

The History of Women and Smoking


Updated 01/07/11 10:50 AM · Posted by · 3 comments

History of Women and Smoking

It's easy to forget there was a time when it was unladylike for women to smoke. When they did, it was done defiantly, late at night, and behind closed doors. So how did we go from taboo to addiction in less than a century? Well, as we saw Sunday on Mad Men: advertising. Monday I pulled out specific cigarette ads targeted at women, but ads always capitalize on the social climate of the time. So Read more