foodconsumer.org: Quitting smoking with help from your cell phone

Quitting smoking with help from your cell phone
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admin on 11/08/2009 23:21:00
 
By Sheilah Downey
Switching to light cigarettes isn't going to help kick the habit, says a new
study released this week, but playing a game on your cell phone may be an
alternative to smoking in the future.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that smokers who went  to
low-tar, light or mild brand of cigarette were nearly 50 percent less likely to
quit smoking.
According to the study of more than 30,000 smokers, nearly 12,000 people
switched to a "lighter" cigarette partly because they thought it was a less
harmful option.
Researchers said that smokers think switching to a lighter brand is better for
their health, although people tend to smoke more and inhale deeper when they
reach for light cigarettes.
The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, found that "a history of
switching was associated with a 46 percent lower odds of net quitting."
Meanwhile, scientists at Columbia University's Teachers College are working on a
game to help people kick the habit by breathing into their mobile phones.
Called "Lit: A Game Intervention for Nicotine Smokers," involves breathing into
a microphone and is accompanied by sounds, colors, images and challenges to
mimic the stimulant and relaxing effects of smoking.
The game is intended to be an alternative to smoking with the ultimate goal of
reducing or eliminating tobacco completely.
Effects of the game will be evaluated through emotional and physiological
responses, such as heart rates, and compared to subjects after smoking or after
playing the game and not smoking.
If the game is a success, it will emulate the effects of smoking as replacement
therapy for smokers who want to quit.
The research is part of $1.85 million in grants given to nine leading research
teams on how digital games might improve health. It is sponsored by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation.