Young adults think health habits reduce harm from smoking

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 17 Jun 2004 - 18:00 PDT

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Some young adults think switching to low tar or low-nicotine cigarettes or adopting good exercise and diet habits can protect against the risks of smoking, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Smokers thought these strategies provided more protection against tobacco-related health problems than nonsmokers or former smokers, according to Keith Haddock, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and colleagues.

"Given that quitting smoking can be a difficult process, it is not surprising that smokers might seek strategies they believe will reduce their risk while they continue to smoke," Haddock says.

The study surveyed more than 36,000 U.S. Air Force recruits to basic training about their smoking habits and beliefs about various ways to reduce smoking risks. Almost a third of the group were smokers, although they were forced to quit smoking at least temporarily during basic training.

Most of the recruits surveyed said changes in cigarette type or lifestyle would either provide no protection or a small amount of protection against smoking risk. Nevertheless, a "large proportion" of the recruits thought these changes could have a significant effect on smoking health risks, according to the authors.

Although smokers tended to believe more strongly in the protective benefits of these changes, 40 percent of them said they had not switched cigarette types or altered their diet and exercise routines. Smokers who thought their health was most at risk usually switched to low-tar or low-nicotine cigarette brands.

The recruits were more skeptical about the protective benefits of other changes, such as switching from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco products. However, smokers who believed that using smokeless tobacco would lower their health risks were more likely to quit smoking one year after the survey.

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Health Behavior News Service: (202) 387-2829 or www.hbns.org.
Interviews: Contact Christopher Haddock at (816) 235-1074
or Amanda Denning, UMKC Public Relations at (816) 235-1520.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine: Contact the editorial office at (858) 457-7292.

By Becky Ham, Science Writer
Health Behavior News Service

Center for the Advancement of Health
Contact: Ira R. Allen
Director of Public Affairs
202.387.2829
press@cfah.org

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