Health
Want to stop smoking for good? CDC launches new campaign with free resources to quit
The CDC is not taking any more butts when it comes to smoking.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the 2024 version of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people quit smoking — with a special aim at menthol cigarettes.
“The CDC’s Tips campaign is designed to increase smoking cessation awareness and intervention in populations with high smoking rates and poorer health outcomes, including those living with mental illness,” Dr. Lama Bazzi, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
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“[The program] relies on testimonials given by people from the target communities, making the content relatable and increasing the utilization of the free resources the campaign makes available,” added Bazzi, who is not associated with the CDC.
The CDC’s campaign, which first launched in 2012, features stories and tips from former smokers who kicked a really bad habit.
The CDC has launched the 2024 version of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people quit smoking. (iStock)
The dangers of smoking
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S., the CDC noted in a recent press release.
“Addictive drugs alter mood and are often compulsively taken despite the illness they cause,” Lori Karan, M.D., professor of internal medicine and preventive medicine at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, told Fox News Digital.
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“Nicotine is psychoactive in that it can be stimulating, relaxing, pleasurable and helpful [in reducing] stress and anxiety — especially when it counteracts its own withdrawal,” added Karan, who is a national expert in addiction medicine.
It is not nicotine but rather the chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer, heart disease and lung disease, she said.
The CDC’s campaign, which originated in 2012, features stories and tips from former smokers who kicked the habit. (iStock)
Menthol cigarettes carry a higher health risk than regular cigarettes, according to the CDC.
Menthol is a chemical found naturally in plants, like peppermint — but it can also be produced in a lab.
Almost all cigarettes sold in the U.S. contain some degree of menthol, but cigarettes specifically marketed as “menthol” usually have more of the chemical in them.
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“Menthol is an anesthetic,” Karan said. “The cooling sensation makes it easier to inhale more deeply.”
Due to the way menthol interacts with and enhances nicotine, people who use menthol cigarettes are more likely to accumulate toxins in the furthest part of their lungs, the doctor warned.
Menthol smokers are also more likely to continue smoking, she said, which puts them at a greater risk of developing tobacco-related diseases.
Menthol smokers are more likely to continue smoking, an expert said, which puts them at a greater risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
It can be more difficult for people who smoke menthol cigarettes to quit successfully compared to people who smoke non-menthol cigarettes, the CDC noted in the press release.
In 2021, sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes reached 37% of all cigarette sales in the U.S. — the highest share recorded since 1963, according to the CDC website.
Real stories of former smokers
In the new batch of stories, the CDC is highlighting Ethan B., 59, who started smoking cigarettes at age 10 and later started smoking menthol cigarettes when he joined the Army at age 18.
“I wanted to look cool and be cool,” he told the CDC. “All the billboards said it was cool.”
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S.
Since quitting in 2020, Ethan B. said he has come to realize that the tobacco ads that appealed to him while he was growing up were misleading. (The CDC did not share the participants’ last names.)
The CDC also featured Elizabeth B., 62, who started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 18.
She was later diagnosed with smoking-related peripheral artery disease (PAD).
It often takes several attempts and the right combination of medication, nicotine replacement therapy and counseling to permanently succeed at quitting, an expert said. (iStock)
(PAD is when the arteries that supply blood flow to the legs get blocked, so people have difficulty walking without pain or cramping.)
“If I had never smoked that first cigarette, I may not have lit the fuse for PAD,” she told the CDC. “My goal is to help other young people to never start smoking.”
Tips to kick the habit
The CDC recommends developing a personal plan to quit. The first step is to choose a quit date.
By the time the date arrives, make sure all cigarettes — including lighters, matches and ashtrays — are removed from the home, car and work areas, the agency says.
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It’s also important to be aware of common triggers that will tempt people to light up a cigarette.
“During the first few weeks of quitting, try to avoid situations where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available,” the CDC advises on its website.
This may require that people avoid friends or co-workers when they smoke.
People should also find ways to distract themselves when they get the urge to light up.
It’s important to be aware of common triggers that will tempt you to light up a cigarette, the CDC said. (iStock)
The agency recommends making a list of activities that might work for you — in lieu of smoking — before quitting.
Some examples might be listening to your favorite music, going for a walk, playing a video game or simply watching a video on your phone that makes you laugh.
When you do get the urge to light a cigarette, one idea is to find a substitute, like toothpicks, straws or cinnamon sticks, that will keep your mouth and hands busy.
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Quitting is not easy and there will be times when people will have a craving for a cigarette, the agency noted.
The urge will disappear within minutes for most individuals and will grow weaker over time, the CDC says.
Medications to help people quit
For some, medications can be helpful in reducing the compulsion to smoke.
“Individuals trying to quit should speak to their health care provider about medications that can help them quit,” Bazzi said. “Do not give up.”
It often takes several attempts and the right combination of medication, nicotine replacement therapy and counseling to succeed permanently at quitting, she said.
The CDC recommends making a list of activities that might work for you, in lieu of smoking, such as going for a refreshing walk outside. (iStock)
One example is John B., 61, one of the CDC’s featured quitters. He smoked his first cigarette at age 8.
He tried different ways of quitting, including acupuncture, hypnosis and going “cold turkey” — but could never go one full day without smoking.
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Then he found a doctor who could relate to his struggles. The physician had quit smoking himself.
The doctor prescribed two smoking cessation medicines, including a nicotine inhaler, and recommended counseling.
At age 38, John B. was finally able to quit for good.
“Individuals trying to quit should speak to their health care provider about medications that can help them quit,” a doctor said. (iStock)
A combination of medicines is often most effective, according to the CDC.
The most common combination is wearing a nicotine patch, which delivers a steady level of nicotine to the body, along with either the nicotine lozenge or gum for fast-acting relief during cravings.
People can also call the free hotline 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak confidentially with a quit coach without any judgment.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for additional comment on the Tips campaign.
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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