Smoking Cessation
Psilocybin from Mushrooms Can Ease Depression
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Humans have used this "magic" mushroom compound in rituals for thousands of years. Psilocybin from mushrooms alters sensory percept…
Are You Fed Up with Prescription Drug Ads?
Drug companies used to focus their marketing strategies exclusively on doctors. They spent millions on sales representatives who traveled the country chatting up physicians and handing out free sample…
Show 1317: Psychedelic Compounds for Healing
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we speak with scientists studying the potential of psychedelic compounds to help heal mental illness. Recreational use of drugs like LSD during the 1…
Are Rage and Depression Side Effects of Chantix?
No question about it: smoking is terrible for your health. Heart disease, strokes, lung cancer and other malignancies and premature death are all more common among people who smoke tobacco. …
Show 1188: The Healing Potential of Psychedelic …
Many indigenous peoples around the world have developed traditional uses for psychedelic compounds. In Western medicine, these were mostly unknown until Albert Hoffmann synthesized LSD (lysergic acid …
Stop-Smoking Drug Chantix Triggers Violence
Most Americans find it hard to believe that a medication could change someone's personality. The idea that a person could actually harm another human as a result of a drug side effect seems prepostero…
How Soon Do Smokers Benefit from Quitting?
Ask any health professional what you should do to stay healthy, and you'll hear the advice: Don't smoke! If you do smoke, quit! It should come as no surprise to learn that heavy smokers are more likel…
Show 1152: Can You Conquer Your Cravings with Mi…
Have you ever thought about how a bad habit gets started? You can blame the neural wiring and chemistry we share with all animals. When we do something that feels good in the moment, we remember it an…
Why the Holidays Hold Hidden Medication Risks!
This is a dangerous time of the year for tens of millions of people. That’s because nondrinkers frequently find themselves in situations where they are expected to have a drink. It might be at a nei…
Bupropion Helps With Mood, Sex and Quitting Smok…
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) was first approved by the FDA in 1985 to treat depression. It remains a totally unique antidepressant. There is no similar antidepressant on the market. Unlike SSRI and SNRI ant…
Which Medicine Will Help You Quit Smoking?
Experts agree that the best thing a smoker can do for his or her health is to quit. That, however, is easier said than done. Nicotine can create powerful dependence, and many people have a lot of trou…
How to Balance Quitting Smoking with Chantix Vs.…
Have ever heard the expression "Between the devil and the deep blue sea"? That's the dilemma smokers face when trying to quit cigarettes. Quitting smoking with Chantix (varenicline) can pose some sig…
Chantix Fights Free of Black Box Warning
The manufacturer of the stop-smoking drug Chantix received a Christmas gift from the Food and Drug Administration. The medication has carried a black box warning for seven years. It warned of serious …
Why Smoking Just a Little Is Still Bad for You
Everyone recognizes that smoking is hazardous to your health. But some people have been telling themselves that smoking just a few cigarettes a day doesn't increase their risk of premature death. Are …
How Can You Give Up Gum That Helps You Stop Smok…
What is the one thing you could do to change your health for the better? Experts agree that if you smoke, you should stop smoking. But what if you get your nicotine another way? One reader shared thi…
Can You Get Addicted to Nicotine Gum?
There is no question that the single most important step a person can take toward improved health is to stop smoking. Nobody ever would or should say this step is easy, though. Fortunately, there are …
Did Her Stop-Smoking Drug Make Her Wet the Bed?
There is no question that quitting smoking is one of the most important steps a person can take to improve her health. There are now a number of medications that can help people become non-smokers. Th…
How to Quit Smoking Now for Better Health
Stopping smoking is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health, but what is the best approach, cold turkey or gradual withdrawal? Why Cold Turkey Quitting Works Better: A n…
FDA Warns About Chantix Reactions
The stop-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) has been widely advertised on television. The commercials encourage people to ask their doctor if Chantix is right for them. But this week, the Food and Dru…
Stop-Smoking Drug Chantix Linked to Suicidal Tho…
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices monitors the reports of adverse drug events that FDA receives each quarter. In its most recent Quarter Watch report, patient safety analysts noted that the…
Electronic Cigarettes Not Magical for Those Who …
E-cigarettes are becoming extremely popular. Some experts predict that they will surpass combustible cigarette sales within the coming decade. Public health experts have wondered whether this alternat…
Smoking Bans Save Lives
Smoking bans really do make a big difference for health. That's the conclusion from a study published in the journal Circulation. Researchers looked at 45 studies in several countries including the U.…
Workouts Work for Quitting
Quitting smoking is hard. Compared to other compounds, nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs on the market. But a good hard physical workout may help smokers overcome their nicotine cravings. Re…
Never Too Old to Quit
No matter what their age, smokers can reap substantial health benefits by quitting. That's the conclusion from a new meta-analysis of 17 studies. The statistics from these international studies show t…
Nicotine Products Don’t Help Much
Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps people can take to improve their health. It is also one of the hardest. That is why aids such as nicotine gum and nicotine patches have been so popu…
How Good Is Chantix for Quitting Smoking?
Over the last few years we have received many powerful stories from visitors about the stop-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline). Some have been very pleased with the ease with which they quit smoking. …
Adults Lick Lollipops For Nicotine Fix
Are cigarettes drugs? The FDA once argued that a cigarette is a "high technology nicotine delivery system" and therefore should be subject to regulation. A lot of people thought the FDA was way out of…