Which is the most effective way to quit smoking, intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?

Moira Laughlin

When trying to quit smoking there are two ways to go about it by either pursuing extrinsic or external motivation or having the strength for intrinsic or internal motivation. Quitting smoking has always been a battle for many, but part of their problem is that they're either not willing to quit smoking or they are pursuing the wrong kind of help. So how can you tell which type of motivation is meant for you and how do you know which one will have the best outcome? Well honestly it depends on the person. According to the article Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation for Smoking Cessation, "Motivation for smoking cessation refers both to why smokers quit and to the strength of their desire to do so". Knowing this one really has to be committed to quitting and has to be willing to accept help when needed. First you need to understand what you want to change and why you want to quit smoking such as having health concerns, or self control concerns. Those two factors lean in to the intrinsic category which can lead to extrinsic help, which is tied in with immediate reinforcement and social influence.
So which is most effective? Well according to the study done in the aforementioned article intrinsic motivation is the most effective because there can be many negative implications with extrinsic motivation. So remember if you are going to quit smoking do it for yourself and if you need outside help go and get it, just don't quit for anyone else otherwise you risk relapsing.

Citation:

Susan Curry. , Edward H. Wagner, , & Louis C. Grothaus, (1990). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for smoking cessation. Motivation for Smoking Cessation, Retrieved from http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/documentStore/w/s/j/wsj04d00/Swsj04d00.pdf

How prominent is substance abuse on college campuses and why?

 Molly M.

Being a junior in college, I am well aware of the alcohol and substance abuse problems that many of my fellow college students suffer from. I am curious to know how serious these substance abuse issues are and why? According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, “Half of all full-time college students (3.8 million) binge drink, abuse prescription drugs and/or abuse illegal drugs. Almost one in four of the nation’s college students (22.9 percent, some 1.8 million) meet the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence, two and a half times the proportion (8.5 percent) of those who meet the criteria in the rest of the population.” These results were absolutely shocking to me that there really was SO much substance abuse on campuses. Even more shocking is that “Since the early 1990’s, the proportion of students using marijuana daily has more than doubled. Use of drugs like cocaine and heroin is up 52 percent. Student abuse of prescription opiods, stimulants and tranquillizers has exploded. From 1993 to 2005, the proportion of students who abuse prescription painkillers like Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin shot up 343 percent to 240,000 students; stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, 93 percent to 225,000; tranquilizers like Xanax and Valium, 450 percent to 171,000; and sedatives like Nembutal and Seconal, 225 percent to 101,000” (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University). This brings me to my question of why? College students are under a tremendous amount of stress with schoolwork and the pressures to succeed. Many turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to relieve their stress. Others use drugs and alcohol as a way to socialize and fit in. No matter what the reason is, substance abuse is extremely detrimental to one’s health and future and I think it is extremely important that we as college students take this all into account before we decide to give into the temptation. 

http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/OpEds.aspx?articleid=585&zoneid=29

 

How does the effectiveness of nicotine patches compare to nicotine gum?

Luke Newman

            There are many options of nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, for those who wish to quit smoking.  Gum and patches are two of the most popular options, but which one is more effective?  According to the 2008 Clinical Practice Guideline for treating tobacco use and dependence, all options of NRT have roughly the same efficacy (study published by the US Department of Health and Human Services).  So, it really should be the patient deciding which method works best for their specific situation.  Nicotine patches may be best for patients who get the most benefit from the physical nicotine portion of the cigarette rather than simply caving in to a trigger for smoking.  Patches will deliver a fairly constant nicotine dose throughout the day or week.  Patients who are constantly anxious because of encountering various smoking triggers may opt for the gum, because it can mimic the intermittent bursts of nicotine throughout the day that is associated with smoking cigarettes.

Stanford, Claire. "Gum vs. the Patch: Which Kind of Nicotine Replacement Is Right for You?" Medications That Can Help|. Health.com, 01 Aug. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. <http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20213800,00.html>.

What is worse, hookah or a cigarette?

Well... it is true.  Hookah is not safer than cigarette smoking.  The tobacco that is used for hookah smoking is no less toxic and in actuality, hookah smokers may inhale more smoke than a cigarette smoker.  Evidence shows that Hookah smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals.   There is actually more carbon monoxide in hookah than in cigarettes.  Also is provides about the same amount of nicotine that cigarette smoking delivers and poses the same amount of danger with secondhand smoke.  So forget about all the rumors that it isn't as bad and think twice before deciding to take the next hit. 

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hookah/AN01265

How does drinking as a teenager damage your health when you are older?

Ellen Rehm

     Many parents do not know how to address the issue with alcohol with their high school aged kids. Some forbid their teenagers from touching alcohol until they are 18, while other take a more relaxed approach and let their underaged kids drink with parental supervision. Most parents assume their child will drink alcohol once in college therefore they might as well let them try alcohol in high school with parental supervision. Research proves that the earlier a child starts drinking, the higher their chances of developing alcohol abuse or dependence in their teenage years and adult life are. Children who drink before the age of 15 are most susceptible to alcohol misuse in their later years in life. "Although the number of 11-15 year olds who have ever drunk alcohol has been going down since 2003, almost half of them have had alcohol and those who have are drinking twice as much as they were in 1990," (Jarvis, 2013). A recent study done showed that 64% of parents agree it is inevitable that most children will drink alcohol before age 16. Yet the reality is that parents are normally always the first people kids turn to for advice on alcohol. 

     The immediate effects of alcohol on children may be no more then feeling sick of having a hangover, yet alcohol can have long term health effects on the child. Long term risks include liver damage, brain development, and drinking later in life. Lifelong alcoholics are not the only people who have liver damage, regular drinking too much can increase a young persons chances of damaging their liver. The areas of the brain developing through childhood and into the teenage years are responsible for behavior, emotions, reasoning, and judgement. Drinking during this time can have a long term impact on memory and attention span on the child. Lastly, if children binge drink they are more likely to binge drink as adults. 

Source: Jervis, Dr. Sarah. Alcohol and Your Child. Drink Aware. October 2013. Retrieved from https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/alcohol-and-your-child/children-and-alcohol-the-risks

 

What are the similarities and differences between tobacco and alcohol?

Ramsey Keaton

Their are many different opinions to which drug is "better" or "worse" than the other. Both tobacco and alcohol are government sanctioned addictive drugs. However, the have many differences in what they do to the body when used. Tobacco is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. As far as statistics go tobacco kills more people than alcohol but alcohol is related to more violent crimes. Alcohol can also be fetal when mixed with other drugs which is not nearly as common with tobacco. Both alcohol and tobacco can have an effect on not just the people who use them but those around them. Tobacco can directly affect the people around the uses by second hand smoke and alcohol can affect the people around those who are drunk by their impaired motor skills which causes vehicular accidents.

The two substances are often used together. A studied has shown that people who smoke are more likely to drink, and people who drink are more likely to smoke. Dependence on alcohol and tobacco are also correlated. People are three times more likely than those in the general population to be smokers if they are dependent on alcohol, and people are four times more likely than the general population to be dependent on alcohol if they are dependent on tobacco.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA71/AA71.htm

Is whooping a child the best form of punishment, or is there another way to discipline a child without using physical force?

 By James Coulter

    As I think back on my childhood; sometimes I wonder if I had just a little more love from my mother, where would I be right now. Also, I wish my dad was more supportive, and (around) when I needed him the most in my life in my adolescent years. Sometimes I was punished by a whooping by a belt. This form of discipline didn't help me none, and ultimately it made me fill hate for my mom! So the reason why I want to find out information about this topic, is to find the best method of punishment for a parent to give to their child. In our lecture on last Tuesday we talked about different parenting styles, and if I had to pick between the both main styles to be more harmful I would have to go with Authoritarian. The website WeBMd states "Your responsibility as a parent is to help your child become self-reliant, respectful, and self-controlled."





                                            www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/discipline-tactics‎