Smoking, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2006

Pesticides Found in Cigarette Smoke

As if tobacco itself wasn't bad enough for people, researchers have found three pesticides in the smoke of cigarettes. The chemicals, commonly used in tobacco farming and approved for that use by the EPA, disrupt the human endocrine system, which includes the thyroid and other glands and the hormones they...

Feb 28, 2007

Smokers Are Dead Weight at the Office

Smokers can be deadweights around the office with lower working performance and more sick days taken than their non-smoking colleagues, two new studies suggest. In one study, researchers monitored the career progression of more than 5,000 women entering the U.S. Navy between 1996 and 1997. Daily smokers, they found, showed...

Oct 31, 2009

Smoking Gun Found in Rejected Heart Transplants

Scientists have long suspected that smoking increased the risk that a transplanted heart would be rejected. Now they have a smoking gun. And it doesn't matter who smokes, recipient or donor. A new study conducted on rats provides the first direct evidence that cigarette smoke exposure before a heart transplant...

Dec 31, 2010

Film 'Matchstick Men' Preps Smokers to Light Up

Many things can trigger a craving for cigarettes in smokers, and Nicolas Cage apparently is one of them. Watching an actor light up onscreen activates the part of the brain that plans hand movements in smokers, a new study finds, just as if the smokers were about to light a...

May 30, 2013

Apartment Living May Increase Kids' Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

Children may be at an increased risk of exposure to secondhand smoke by living in apartment complexes rather than in houses, a new study finds. Using data from a national survey, researchers compared levels of cotinine a substance formed by the breakdown of nicotine that is used to test for...

May 30, 2013

Wal-Mart Recalls Electric Heaters

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Arkansas, announced a voluntary recall of about 2.2 million Flow Pro, Airtech, Aloha Breeze & Comfort Essentials Heaters. Hazard: The heaters can malfunction resulting in overheating, smoking, burning, melting and fire. Incidents/Injuries: Wal-Mart has received 21...

May 30, 2013

Brain Scans Reveal Who Will Quit Smoking

Brain scans can predict how likely someone is to quit smoking, a new study suggests. And these images do a better job at foretelling quitting success than the smokers themselves. The study involved 28 heavy smokers who were actively attempting to quit the habit. The researchers showed the smokers a...

May 30, 2013

1 in 10 Smokers Keep the Habit Secret from Doctors

About one in 10 smokers say they don't reveal to their doctors that they light up, according to a new survey. This could equate to more than 6 million smokers in the United States, the researchers said. The findings are important because health care providers play a critical role in...

May 30, 2013

Unhealthy Habits Wreck Your Sex Life

Our vices hamper our sex lives, a new Danish study says. Weight problems, physical inactivity, high levels of alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and hard drugs are associated with sexual dysfunction in men , the study found. In addition, an unhealthy lifestyle is more common among people who aren't sexually active,...

May 30, 2013

Ryobi Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Ryobi Technologies Inc., of Anderson, S.C., announced a voluntary recall of about 455,000 Ryobi Model HP 1802M Cordless Power Drills today. Hazard: The switch on the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Ryobi has...

May 30, 2013

Anatomy of Addiction: Why It's So Hard to Quit Smoking

The euphoria begins with the first drag. Inhaling the smoke from a cigarette sends nicotine molecules zooming up into the brain within seconds. The nicotine grabs hold of receptors on brain cells, releasing a wave of dopamine and other chemicals that bring feelings of pleasure and comfort. Brain cells sprout...

May 30, 2013

Images: New Cigarette Labels Unveiled by the FDA

Intro (Image credit: FDA)The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today (June 21) unveiled the nine graphic health warnings required to appear on every pack of cigarettes sold in the United States and in every cigarette advertisement. This measure is intended to help prevent children from smoking, encourage adults who do...

May 30, 2013

Eating Fruits & Vegetables May Help Smokers Quit

Eating fruits and vegetables may help some people quit smoking, a new study suggests. In the study, smokers who ate the most fruit and vegetables were three times more likely to be tobacco-free for at least 30 days than those who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables, the...

Jun 21, 2013

Thirdhand Smoke Damages Human Cells

Thirdhand smoke, the residue from cigarette smoke that lingers on surfaces and in dust long after the cigarette is out and the smoke has cleared, may damage human cells, a new study finds. The researchers used two standard laboratory tests to assess the toxicity of thirdhand smoke. They showed that...

Nov 14, 2013

Vaping: How E-cigs Work (Infographic)

In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert invented a “smokeless nontobacco cigarette,” but it was never commercialized. “Vaping,” or smoking electronic cigarettes, first became widely popular in China, where 60 percent of men are smokers. Modern e-cigarettes were patented in 2003 by Chinese inventor Hon Lik. E-cigarettes feature a replaceable inhaler cartridge...