Dentists Help People Quit Smoking

Smoking is something that can seriously damage oral health. According to WebMD, cigarette use can lead to increased buildup of plaque and tartar on the teeth, a higher risk of gum disease and oral cancer and other major and minor problems such as bad breath and loss of bone in the jaw.

As a result, dentists are often encouraging their patients to give up the habit. Recently, Mobi Health News reported that the company Aetna is giving dentists tablet computers that are equipped with smoking cessation programs designed to help them encourage patients to quit.

"The program is designed as an innovative interface between patients and dentists and we anticipate that devices like tablet computers can be used to break down barriers between clinicians’ and their patients," said David Albert, D.D.S., quoted by the news source.

Great Reasons to Stop Smoking

Nov. 17 marked the 36th annual American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout. This event grew out of one day in a Massachusetts town when residents were asked to not smoke and to donate the money they would have spent on smoking to a scholarship. Since that time, the Smokeout has grown into a nationwide event that highlights the dangers of tobacco use and promotes and supports smoking cessation.

West Virginia, including the Eastern Panhandle, bears a heavy burden of smoking-related illness, and the Great American Smokeout presents a great opportunity for smokers to take a first step toward quitting and to learn about the tools and resources available to help them.

World of Tobacco Harm Reduction

ACSH applauds John Tierney’s column in today’s Science section of The New York Times, in which he argues for the promotion of electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction method to reduce the tremendous toll of smoking in the U.S.

Tierney aptly points out that electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, may turn out to be a powerful and safe method of smoking cessation — if the entrenched opposition from government and public health groups fails to stifle the technology before it gains a foothold. E-cigarettes provide users with a dose of aerasolized nicotine — a vapor that does not require burning tobacco.