Teen quitters
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Take the Next Step
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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
It can be tough to be a teen quitter, and one study indicates how hard it can be to give up cigarettes.
At Brown University, researcher Cinnamon Bidwell measured how 47 teen smokers felt – notably how strong their tobacco cravings were – after giving up cigarettes almost 24 hours. Bidwell says the teens’ poor moods and strong cravings were like those of long-term adult smokers, even though the teens were smokers for far less time:
“Early in the dependence process, teens who are trying to quit are facing significant urges during smoking withdrawal – and maybe many of them are likely to be relapsing to smoking to relieve those strong cravings.”
She says they may need extra help.
The study in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at healthfinder.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.