HHS HealthBeat (October 9, 2009)

Not so easy to quit

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The best way for a teenager to not become addicted to tobacco is not to start. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that most teens who do start find it hard to get unhooked even when they want to.

Ann Malarcher says 61 percent of high school students who were daily smokers tried to quit, but only 12 percent were successful.

This means teens can quit. But Malarcher says they may need help.

[Ann Malarcher speaks] "Counseling for smoking cessation by a doctor or other health care provider has been shown to increase quitting among youth by about 80 percent."

Malarcher says students – and other smokers, too – can get help by calling 1-800 QUIT NOW.

The study is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011