Smoking

Five-year campaign seeks to use prevention to cut heart disease

Five-year campaign seeks to use prevention to cut heart disease

The 5-year Million Hearts Campaign hopes to help millions of Americans improve their heart health by preventing and treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and tobacco use.

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February 7, 2012 | 0 Comments More
How often should women have bone tests?

How often should women have bone tests?

A study of nearly 5,000 women suggests that women with healthy bone density on their first bone desity test might safely wait 15 years before getting tested again.

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February 1, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Want to quit smoking? Your health plan may want to help.

Want to quit smoking? Your health plan may want to help.

Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.

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January 3, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Number of Seattle stores caught selling tobacco to minors doubles

Number of Seattle stores caught selling tobacco to minors doubles

In the previous five years, the 7 percent of retailers were caught selling tobacco to underage teens. This year the number caught jumped to 15 percent of the time.

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December 17, 2011 | 2 Comments More
State bans “Spice”, K2 and other “bath salt” drugs

State bans “Spice”, K2 and other “bath salt” drugs

The products, which have been available in a variety of local retail shops, including smoke and “head” shops, as well as over the Internet contain stimulants and synthetic cannabis-like chemicals that have a “high potential” for abuse and harm to health, officials say.

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October 5, 2011 | 3 Comments More
Hospitals promote bargain CT scans for smokers

Hospitals promote bargain CT scans for smokers

Hospitals are promoting the scans without warning patients of the potential downsides of the test, critics say.

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August 17, 2011 | 0 Comments More
State cuts back services to help smokers quit, but some help remains

State cuts back services to help smokers quit, but some help remains

Washington’s Tobacco Quit Line will no longer provide services to the general population, but King County residents and some other groups can get help other sources.

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July 29, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Parents’ military deployments take emotional toll on teens — UW study

Parents’ military deployments take emotional toll on teens — UW study

When military deployments call for their parents to serve abroad, adolescents have a tough time adjusting, and a new University of Washington study shows their moods often lead to risky behavior.

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July 26, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Fred Hutch seeks volunteers for online smoking-cessation study

Fred Hutch seeks volunteers for online smoking-cessation study

The goal of the study, called WebQuit, is to improve the effectiveness of online smoking-cessation programs. The study is open to adult smokers nationwide. Participation is free to eligible individuals.

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June 15, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Free nicotine patches and gum available to Washington Tobacco Quitline callers

Free nicotine patches and gum available to Washington Tobacco Quitline callers

Washington residents who are ready to quit smoking can now receive at least two weeks of free nicotine patches or gum if they call the state Tobacco Quitline in May or June. People without insurance can also get eight weeks of nicotine replacement therapy. Those on Medicaid are already eligible for a 12 week supply.

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May 17, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Smoking, alcohol use down among Washington youth

Smoking, alcohol use down among Washington youth

There has been a substantial drop in both smoking and alcohol use among Washington youth, according to a survey of more than 212,000 students in the state’s public schools.

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March 17, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Interest in E-cigarettes is high, but safety and effectiveness unknown

Interest in E-cigarettes is high, but safety and effectiveness unknown

Electronic cigarettes are drawing heavy media and marketing attention, but it’s not known whether they help smokers cut down or quit.

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February 8, 2011 | 0 Comments More