Campaign Fails 40-Somethings

Campaign Fails 40-Somethings

The 35-year campaign against cigarette smoking in the United States has moderately reduced the number of smokers who are younger adults, but has failed to have an impressive impact on older smokers, say two UAB scientists in the February issue of the International Journal of Cancer. "People who smoke until they are 40 years old become irreversibly addicted to nicotine," says Brad Rodu, M.D., a UAB oral pathologist. He and co-author Philip Cole, M.D., say better strategies are needed to address smokers over the age of 40. Tactics may include products such as nicotine medications and smokeless tobacco. "Innovation is overdue, and the implementation of harm reduction may lower the appallingly high number of deaths among inveterate smokers."

Contact Hank Black, Media Relations, 205-934-8938 or [email protected].

###