Nicotine News and Research

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Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (''Solanaceae'') which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves.

Interaction between nicotine and alcohol impacts learning

The interaction between nicotine and alcohol, two of the most abused and co-abused drugs, can impact a person's ability to learn and could have implications for treating addiction, according to researchers at Temple University.

6 Nov 2007

Fear of gaining weight and smoking cessation in women

Is a fear of getting fatter partly to blame for the fact that nearly one in five American women still smokes, and many don't try to quit"

6 Nov 2007

Brain chemistry and genes dictate nicotine cravings

Individual brain chemistry and genes could be key to understanding why some people become addicted to nicotine and why the chemical compound's effects appear to diminish at night, University of Colorado at Boulder researchers say.

6 Nov 2007

Teens who use only cannabis appear to function better than those who also use tobacco

A Swiss study suggests that teens who use only cannabis appear to function better than those who also use tobacco, and are more socially driven and have no more psychosocial problems than those who abstain from both substances, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

6 Nov 2007

Bupropion plus counseling appears to help adolescents quit cigarette smoking in the short term

Almost one-fourth of U.S. high school students currently smoke cigarettes, according to background information in the article. Many teen smokers want to quit, but studies estimate that only about 4 percent of those who try are successful each year.

6 Nov 2007

Genes play important role in risk for dependence on illicit and licit drugs

The genes that play a role in illegal drug abuse are not entirely the same as those involved in dependence on legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, and caffeine addiction appears to be genetically independent of all the others, according to a study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.

6 Nov 2007

Teenage smokers at risk of depression, alcohol abuse and drug use

According to American researchers smoking cigarettes may make teens more prone to depression, alcohol abuse and illegal drug use.

28 Oct 2007

Nicotine reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesias

The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center today announced research showing that intermittent nicotine treatment reduces medication-induced dyskinesias by as much as 50 percent in models of Parkinson's disease.

24 Oct 2007

Alcoholism in the family linked to greater sweet preferences among women

More than 250 million women worldwide smoke tobacco. Compared to men, women have a greater risk of smoking-related diseases, and also have more difficulty quitting. A new study, the first of its kind, has found that cigarette smoking and having a family history of alcoholism have different effects on sweet-taste perception and food cravings.

24 Oct 2007

Hypnotherapy effective for smoking cessation after hospital discharge

Hospitalized patients who smoke may be more likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using other smoking cessation methods.

22 Oct 2007

Aggressive tots agressive adults!

New research suggests that three and four-year-olds are more physically aggressive than most adults; anyone subjected to the wrath of an indignant pre-schooler will not argue with that.

16 Oct 2007

Nicotine patch for prostate surgery relief?

The use of a nicotine patch - successfully used to help many smokers decrease their dependency on nicotine - was shown to reduce pain in men after prostate removal surgery in a new anesthesiology study.

15 Oct 2007

How does the opioid system work?

The opioid system controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors. Opioids exert their pharmacological actions through three opioid receptors, mu, delta and kappa whose genes have been cloned (Oprm, Oprd1 and Oprk1, respectively).

15 Oct 2007

New report says 'treat smokers like drug addicts'

According to the the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), heavily-addicted smokers in Britain who find it impossible to quit are being let down.

7 Oct 2007

FDA boss questions move for agency to regulate tobacco industry

Andrew von Eschenbach, the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, has questioned efforts by Congress to have the agency regulate the tobacco industry.

4 Oct 2007

Second hand smoke exposure slashed after three months of smokefree England

Hospitality workers' exposure to harmful second hand smoke has fallen by 95 per cent since smokefree workplaces were introduced in England on 1 July 2007, according to new research revealed at the National Cancer Research Institute Conference in Birmingham on the three month anniversary of smokefree England.

2 Oct 2007

Mechanism behind nicotine dependency revealed

The research is being published the week of October 1, 2007, in an advance, online issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

2 Oct 2007

Nicotine dependence triggered by changes in brain chemistry that follow very first dose of nicotine

Following up on studies that have indicated the speed with which adolescents can get hooked on cigarettes, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have conducted the first study to determine why some adolescents who try smoking get addicted while others do not.

2 Oct 2007

Stealth learning fosters science education

Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom, a Duke University pharmacology professor who left the lab bench to focus on science education, has developed a tactic for keeping students hands in the air at the end of class.

27 Sep 2007

Nicotine replacement and behavioral therapy for smoking cessation in pregnancy

Pregnant women trying to quit smoking could find it easier with help from nicotine replacement therapy, a new study finds, despite safety concerns about the risk of early delivery.

26 Sep 2007