Chapter 24
Ten (Or So) Reliable Resources for More Information
IN THIS CHAPTER
Finding credible information online
Digging deeper into the research
Finding help you can trust
Surf the web, and you’ll find that information abounds when it comes to smoking and vaping. But, as you know, the web is filled with accurate information, misleading information, and downright false information. Scratch the surface of many websites, and you’ll see they’re nothing more than thinly disguised marketing ploys designed to sell products or gather subscriptions.
In this chapter, we give you ten (or so) reliable web-based resources. There are no promises of easy ways to quit or completely safe and satisfying alternatives to smoking and vaping. But there is solid information you can obtain from the following sites.
If you’re looking for more information online, keep in mind that the most reliable sources of information on quitting smoking are typically federal, state, and locally funded agencies, as well as trusted medical centers and institutions (like the Mayo Clinic), and nonprofit organizations. Beware of any site that tells you that vaping is completely safe, that promises a quick or easy way to quit, or that’s trying to sell you something or give you something for free in exchange for your email address.
The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society offers lots of resources on quitting smoking at www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco.html. The American Cancer Society also sponsors the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday in November of every year. It’s a great day to quit smoking! Find out more at www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/great-american-smokeout.html.
The American Lung Association
The American Lung Association (www.lung.org) offers lots of reliable information about lung cancer and smoking. It also has a quiz on its website designed to determine if you’re eligible to receive a lung cancer CT scan. Just go to www.lung.org/our-initiatives/saved-by-the-scan/. The quiz takes less than a minute and could save your life.
If you’ve been a long-term smoker, and you’re suffering from chronic lung problems, the American Lung Association is the place for you to find out more important information.
Cochrane Reviews
You can look up the latest information about smoking, vaping, tobacco, addiction, and health at www.cochrane.org. Cochrane is an organization that promotes evidence-informed health decision-making by looking at published research and rigorously evaluating its quality. It attempts to be unbiased and objective, and it doesn’t accept donations from commercial sources or sources that have conflicts of interest. Although the articles contain some sophisticated statistics, you don’t have to be a full-fledged scientist to read its reviews — you can understand the gist of the conclusions even without an advanced degree. Better still — the reviews are free!
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a large section on its website dedicated to smoking and tobacco use, including tips from former smokers on how to quit. Go to www.cdc.gov/tobacco/. In addition, the CDC has an extensive library of information about heart disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association’s website has journal articles and policy statements from the world’s largest organized group of psychologists. To access this information, just go to www.apa.org and, in the Search box at the top of the page, search for terms like vaping, addiction, smoking, or tobacco.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse
Go to www.drugabuse.gov to find scientific information about addiction and drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has screening tools for adults and adolescents. You can even find articles written in both English and Spanish, as well as easy-to-read drug facts.
Smokefree.gov
Smokefree.gov is a fabulous, user-friendly, and federally sponsored website that has specific information for veterans, women, teens, adults over 60, and Spanish speakers. In addition, it offers 24/7 support from your smartphone.
Your State Quitline
Each state maintains a phone quitline and website for helping smokers quit. Their advice is sound and generally well researched. Simply search the web for your state’s name and the word quitline. It will pop up immediately.
The American Heart Association
You can find tips for quitting smoking and vaping on the American Heart Association’s website at www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco. There are also articles with ideas for helping teens refrain from vaping and smoking.
The UK’s National Health Service
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has tips on quitting smoking at www.nhs.uk/smokefree. The UK has long demonstrated a keen interest in helping its citizens quit smoking and vaping due to the profound health consequences. You can also read success stories and watch videos of people who managed to quit.
MedlinePlus
At www.medlineplus.gov, you can find health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Use the Search box at the top of the page to find reliable, scientifically sound articles about any kind of health topic, including smoking and vaping. MedlinePlus also has extensive resources for learning about medications, both prescription and over the counter, for helping people quit smoking and vaping.
Truth Initiative
The Truth Initiative is a nonprofit, public health organization committed to achieving a culture that rejects tobacco. It has tons of reliable information on vaping and quitting smoking of all types. You can find the Truth Initiative at www.truthinitiative.org.