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Many who smoke cigarettes know they'd
be better off without them. But some have also learned -- the hard
way -- that quitting can be tough. For smokers who have ADD -- or,
formally, AD/HD (Attention-deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder) --
this can be especially true.
In general, those with AD/HD are more
likely to smoke; to smoke heavily; to start at an earlier age; to
get hooked; and to have trouble getting themselves unhooked.
How come? A cigarette is a device for
delivering -- to the brain -- tobacco's main pharmacological
ingredient: nicotine. Which, in turn, can help users both focus
and relax (unlike drugs which can do only one or the
other). For someone who is both distractible and tense, this can
be a potent draw; especially when other benefits -- improvements
in mood or disposition -- are thrown in as well.
Unfortunately, the long-term
picture -- with its adverse health effects like cancer
or emphysema or accelerated aging -- is not nearly as appealing.
Ways to quit were discussed at the
meting. What
treatments are available; how effective might these be; and are
there other ways to address the psychic needs that can sustain
smoking?
Dr. Covey* earned a doctorate, in
social psychology, from the City University of New York. She then
trained in psychiatric epidemiology at Columbia's school of public
health. She now teaches at Columbia; runs their stop-smoking
program; and conducts research** into the issue of smoking and
AD/HD.
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