Human Trials Of Anti-Smoking Vaccine Begin 119
Makarand writes "A Nicotine
vaccine that may help smokers to quit
has made it to human trials.
The vaccine is administered as a series of eight shots --
patients receive two shots per visit during four different visits. The vaccine works by
stimulating the human immune system to produce antibodies that
bind with the nicotine molecules
to form a larger complex molecule which
cannot pass through the blood/brain barrier to get
into the brain. As a result smokers
will not feel the 'high' from the cigarettes they light up and lose interest in smoking.
Preliminary studies have shown that this vaccine is safe in humans." (Each link goes to a slightly different version of the same wire story.)
Re:There's more than one type of addiction (Score:2, Interesting)
Take suger for instance. People get used to eat somthing sweet to cheer up. But there is a measurable biological effect caused by blood glucose level.
Would that be a psycological addiction or a physical one? No matter what you call it, if you will not enjoy smoking you will find somthing better to feed your psycological needs.
How long before... (Score:5, Interesting)
how I stopped (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyway, my friend said that as soon as she switched to American Spirit, she just didn't feel the need to smoke as much and the though of it kind of disgusted her. So I switched too.
After about a month, the very thought of smoking just disgusted me to the point where I stopped doing it. I started smoking their strongest ones, of which I could only finish about half a cigarette, then went to the medium, then their ultra-lights.
It's ironic using cigarettes to quit smoking, but it worked for me. The only side-effects I've had is that I feel much better. The smell of smoke in bars even disgusts me now.
nicotine (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:They need to get this down to one shot (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Easy to quit... (Score:3, Interesting)
Never underestimate the power of a physical addiction, my friend.
Having been a former smoker, I can tell you I wanted to quit. I wanted to quit about 1700 times. I succeeded on the 1700th try. You know its bad for you, you can feel it every day when you light up, but there's that tinge of happiness that comes from the action.
It's been 10 years since I quit and even now there are still times I'm jamming on some code...get pissed off at it and think "Gee, if I could just go outside, light up and relieve my stress, I could get back to this mess of code and maybe make some sense of it."
10 Years and I wonder if they succeeded in eliminating all of the health risks and side effects if I wouldn't light up right now.
Also, it's not really mind over matter. That same mind is telling you "one more won't hurt you, you can go back to quitting after you have one more...". You go through this sort of multiple-personality situation where you have one half of you telling you not to touch the damn things, and the other half telling you that you're life would be entirely easier if you just give in.
Some people find it easier than others, I found it to be one of the most difficult things I have had to do. And I remeber that every time a temptation rolls my way.
The interesting thing I noticed when I was a smoker was how many people who had never smoked in their life (or never were addicted) would tell me how easy it is to quit. It was also amazing how many of these people had their own unhealthy habbits (being a geek, I've seen plenty of other geeks who happen to have a few hundred extra pounds they would be well off to get rid of). Now they're not putting anyone else at risk with their bad habbit, but I wounder if I walked up to someone who was fat and said "eat healthy and exercise every day like I do, it's easy." how many people would agree with me. (Hint: not many!)
Cigarrettes feel like food to an addict.
Re:Lont time smoker's point of view (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Fucking Smokers (Score:3, Interesting)
So, what do you do when you need a smoke, and you can't find an ashtray? You realize that, the way you phrased it, it sounds like you think it is okay, if you can't find an ashtray, to light up anyway, and throw your butts on the floor? Is this what you meant?
When I was young, and full of beans, I used to get into confrontations with people smoking in places where smoking was officially prohibited.
Smokers are addicts, and are capable of wild rationalizations. Anyhow, I would get my dander up, and engage in a tense confrontation -- mano a mano. By the time I was 20 or so I decided that I was putting my health at greater risk by confronting the asshole smoker -- maybe get a broken nose from getting in a fight.
About ten or fifteen years later I started speaking up again. But I did so in a totally different way. I'd ask them, in the nicest possible way, if they knew it was a non-smoking area. Sometimes smokers didn't know, they managed to remain unaware, and they stop. But, if they don't stop, I don't appeal to authority. Instead I ask, as a courtesy, if they will stop out of consideration for those of us who are sensitive. While this is less effective than the tense confrontation approach I figure it is safer for me, because it won't provoke a fight.
I resent this. I shouldn't have to do this.
I am with blackrabbit on this issue. Even smokers who are capable of being decent people, good citizen, can be assholes when presented with temptation. They are in a non-smoking area, but there is no one else around, so they feel free to light up. Bzzzt. Back when we accomodated this destructive habit public places were designed to be well enough ventilated to clear away smoke. Well, they aren't anymore. And, if they once were, the ventilation has been turned down. If it is not a smoking area you are going to piss off non-smokers for for a considerable time after you have got your fix. If the ventilation is really bad, maybe for hours.
Let me close with an anecdote.
About fifteen years ago I was waiting to pick up my cousin at the airport. That part of the airport is under construction. The lounge is clearly a non-smoking area. Clearly marked with signs, no ashtrays present. And, because of the construction, it is very poorly ventilated. Well this older guy is standing next to a waste receptacle, having a smoke. So, I go over to him, and politely ask him if he is aware that this is a non-smoking area, and ask him, as a courtesy to refrain from smoking.
He denies it is a non-smoking area. He asks "if this is a non-smoking area, why are there ashtrays," as he points at his trash can. Maybe, from a distance, this trash can could be mistaken for an ashtray. But, when I said, "Sir, that is a trash can," its garbage bag lining was a sure clue that it was a trash can.
Then he says, "If this is a non-smoking section, why aren't there any signs?" So I silently point to a couple of the nearby signs.
When this has sunk in, he stubs out his cigarette, and says to me something like, "Okay, I am putting it out. But I am not doing so because of you. I am doing so because I am good citizen who obeys the law."
Although I did my best to talk to this guy in a way intended to not humiliate him, I am sure if you asked this guy what I had said he would have described me as being a complete asshole.
This guy's addiction blinded him to how ugly his behaviour was.
This guy's addiction blinded him so he could mistake a trash can for an ashtray. This guy's addiction blinded him so he could be oblivious to the many non-smoking signs in this lounge. This guy's addiction blinded him to not noticing that the room was crowded, poorly ventilated, and he was the only one smoking.
He probably was a good citizen -- except for his blindness over his addiction.
You want to be a good citizen? No rationalizations! Be considerate.