RX : ANTI-DEPRESSANTS MAY HELP SMOKERS KICK THE HABIT.Byline: Damaris Christensen Medical Tribune News Service For people who have tried repeatedly to quit smoking, anti-depressants may help them to kick the habit, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an expert speaking recently at an Institute of Medicine meeting in Washington, D.C. ``We've noticed that attachment to smoking is commonly linked to depression,'' said Dr. Mark Gold of the departments of neuroscience, psychiatry, and community health and family medicine at the University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. Brain Institute in Gainesville. Anti-depressants have been shown to help some smokers break their addiction, possibly by mimicking the boost that a person gets from smoking, he said. When someone smokes, ``it's as if they were on anti-depressants,'' Gold said. Using anti-depressants to help smokers quit could help reduce tobacco-related illnesses and deaths, he said. ``Smoking is the drug addiction drug addiction or chemical dependency Physical and/or psychological dependency on a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine), defined as continued use despite knowing that the substance causes harm. with the most important health consequences,'' Gold said. There are 46 million smokers in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , he said. About 35 percent of smokers try to quit each year, but only 2.5 percent succeed - most after repeated attempts, he added. Also at the meeting, Dr. Charles O'Brien Charles O'Brien has been the name of several different notable people:
When treating addictions, ``the goal is abstinence,'' but the reality often is improvement, he said. ``Full and complete abstinence is very rare,'' O'Brien said. ``People make slips, and we need ways to measure improvement that is not black or white.'' |
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