By J. Lee Westmaas, PhD

Do you occasionally have a cigarette, maybe not even every day? Although people resolve to quit smoking in the new year, you might think only heavy smokers need to quit. But that isn't the case.

Light or intermittent smoking has become a very common pattern for people of any age.  Many of these people do not feel addicted to tobacco and do not even call themselves "smokers." There are, however, some real risks associated with any level of smoking. Non-daily smoking, or smoking 1-5 cigarettes a day, was first noticed as far back as 1989 because it was a stark contrast to the more common pattern at that time -- 20 to 30 cigarettes a day. At that time, very light smokers were labeled "chippers" (a term that also referred to occasional users of opiates who appeared to not be addicted). Chippers didn't appear to smoke to relieve withdrawal, and sometimes didn't smoke for a day or more. More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD

For those who have traveled London's Underground, or Tube, the term "Mind the Gap" will be familiar. It's the warning for riders to be aware that there is a gap of several inches between the station platform and the train cars. In the public health community, we also have a gap: the gap between the number of smokers who want to quit and those who actually succeed. The American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout, held this year on November 15, is an opportunity to remind us that we also need to "mind the gap."

In the United States, this gap is very wide. Nearly 70% of the country's 43.8 million smokers say they would like to quit smoking; 52% report making at least one serious attempt to quit each year; but a disappointingly low 4% are actually successful in doing so. More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD

As the official sponsor of birthdays, the American Cancer Society has every reason to be proud of a "toddler" celebrating its third birthday this year. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - aka the Tobacco Control Act - was strongly supported by ACS and ACS CAN and signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 22, 2009.

For the first time and after nearly 2 decades of debate, this historic legislation gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products. In doing so, Congress enabled the FDA to establish the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), which is charged with regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products in order to reduce tobacco use by children under 18 and protect public health.

More specifically, the Tobacco Control Act authorizes the FDA to act in a number of ways, including:

• Restricting tobacco sales, distribution, and marketing
• Requiring stronger health warnings on packaging and in advertisements
• Requiring disclosure of tobacco product ingredients
• Reducing (but not eliminating) the amount of nicotine in tobacco products
• Creating standards for tobacco products
• Regulating "modified risk" (i.e. potentially harm reducing) tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, snus, dissolvables, etc.

So, with the authority to take these types of action, how is the Tobacco Control Act doing 3 years later? Is it having its intended effects? Are Americans - tobacco users and non-users alike - beginning to see its hoped-for health benefits? To best address these questions, it will help to take a small step back and consider the history of the Tobacco Control Act, take a brief look at the Act's accomplishments to date, and then look a bit into the future. More...

By Tom Glynn, PhD

Hookah smoking is no safer than cigarette smoking. If you read no further, that is the take-home message for this blog -- no matter what you may have heard or read, the scientific evidence is clear that hookah smoking is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.

Countering the widely-held, although mistaken, belief that hookah smoking is safer than cigarette smoking is important, so let's take a step back and consider what hookah is, learn about its history and current popularity, and then look at the facts about the scientific evidence regarding its effects on health. More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD

No, "The Dissolvables" are not a Saturday morning TV cartoon show - they are the tobacco industry's latest attempt to maintain, and even expand, the number of tobacco users in the U.S., at a time when fewer people are smoking cigarettes.

"Dissolvables," as they have become collectively known, are products made of compressed tobacco and are available in a variety of forms, including sticks, pellets, and strips (think the Listerine breath strip). They dissolve in the user's mouth, delivering nicotine, as well as thousands of other chemicals and substances. Examples of these products are below.  More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD

OK, admit it - you have no idea what current cigarette packs in the U.S. have to say about the dangers of tobacco use. I've been working in this field for nearly 30 years and I'm not really sure, either. And we're not alone - very few of us remember that they say things like "Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health" in very tiny letters and are virtually hidden on one side of the pack. More...

By J. Lee Westmaas, PhD

It's no secret that trying to quit smoking is hard. It can trigger irritability, anxiety, depression, and all sorts of other unpleasant emotions and physical feelings. But quitting is one of the most important things you can do for your health, and for the health of others. 

Sometimes smokers who want to quit are told that they should get their social network --the people around them -- to help, maybe by announcing to friends and family that they're going to quit, and asking for their support. More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it is taking steps to regulate electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as tobacco products, acting under its authorities in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

That's got everybody talking about these rather strange devices, which have become increasingly popular over the past few years.

More...

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD


"I think I can. I think I can. I know I can. I know I can." These words are a familiar refrain to the millions of Americans who want to quit smoking. We promise ourselves that this is the year that we are going to get healthier, to save more money, or to be nicer to our friends and family. But there are so many challenges - it's too cold or rainy to exercise, I need that dress or that app, and who could be nice to Uncle Jack?

Yet there is good news if you are among the 45 million American adults who is still a smoker. You can become healthier, save more money, and do something wonderful for your friends and family- you can stop smoking.

More...