Smoking

Is addiction a choice or a disease? Doctor explains the brain shift

Substance use may begin as a personal choice, but repeated exposure alters brain circuits that control reward and impulse, turning use into a disease for some people

Can your body expose a smoking habit before you admit it yourself?

You may hide a cigarette, but the body keeps score. A doctor explains how smoking leaves subtle signs across organs long before stains, smell or a confession appear

How much cannabis is too much? Scientists put a number on addiction risk

For the first time, scientists have proposed a weekly THC limit linked to cannabis addiction risk, suggesting adults staying under about 40 mg THC a week face lower odds of dependence

Switching to vaping raises heart risk, warns ICMR; quitting fully only way

Pooling data from global studies, the ICMR research shows vaping increases cardiovascular risk, with the sharpest rise seen among smokers who switched to e-cigarettes

Why do ex-smokers return to cigarettes even years after quitting?

Doctors explain why relapse can happen even years after quitting, as stress, sensory triggers and long-stored brain "reward" memories can reactivate cravings and old habit loops

Why we keep smoking despite knowing the damage it does to our health

Smoking is not just a bad habit, doctors say; it is nicotine, stress relief, routine and brain conditioning working together, which is why quitting can feel far harder than it looks

Even two cigarettes a day raise heart failure risk by 50%, study finds

Even smoking two cigarettes a day can stiffen blood vessels, raise clotting, sharply increase the risk of heart failure and early death, new global research warns about the dangers of 'light' smoking

Chai-sutta habit: What happens to your body when tea meets cigarette

Doctors explain how the caffeine-nicotine mix overstimulates your brain, heart, and gut, making the chai-sutta combo more addictive and harmful than it may appear

It's not just cancer: Smoking may trigger all types of type-2 diabetes

From insulin resistance to insulin deficiency, smoking raises the risk of every type-2 diabetes form - and the more you smoke, the worse it gets, says new study

Smoking kills 1.35 mn Indians each year, experts urge safer nicotine use

Tobacco kills 1.35 million Indians every year, but quit rates remain very low despite widespread awareness. With India spending more than Rs 1.77 lakh crore annually on tobacco-related diseases, healthcare experts called for innovative, science-backed harm reduction strategies, including the use of smoke-free nicotine alternatives. Dr Pawan Gupta, senior consultant, Pulmonary Medicine at BLK-MAX Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi stated that for patients with COPD or cardiovascular risks, every cigarette avoided matters. "Scientific review, ?including those by the Royal College of Physicians (UK), show that non-combustible nicotine delivery carries significantly lower risks compared to smoking. That evidence cannot be ignored," Gupta said. Public Health England (PHE, UK) has estimated that smoke-free nicotine alternatives are up to 95 per cent less harmful than smoking because they remove tar and combustion. Globally, nicotine pouches have gained traction as discreet oral alternative

Smoking linked to increased risk of developing slipped disc, warn doctors

Doctors at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) here have warned that smoking significantly increases the risk of developing a slipped disc, also known as lumbar disc herniation. The warning came after a successful surgery was performed on a patient referred with recurrent lumbar disc herniation. A team led by surgeon Dr Bhaskar Borgohain recently carried out a tubular microdiscectomy successfully to relieve the pressure on the S1 nerve root on a patient admitted to the hospital. Four large fragments of the disc were removed during the minimally invasive procedure, he said. "Research suggests that smoking is one of the risk factors for slipped discs, possibly due to damage to collagen fibres in the disc's outer ring caused by toxic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke," Dr Borgohain said. He added that such damage weakens the structure of the spinal discs, making them more prone to rupture or herniation, particularly in the lower

Secondhand smoke: Why there's no safe distance from its toxic effects

Experts warn that even short exposure to secondhand smoke can damage the heart, lungs and blood vessels, with children and pregnant women at higher risk

France bans smoking in parks, beaches, and bus stops for public health

France has struggled to kick its smoking habit. A new public health decree published Saturday aims to change that. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools, and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. "In France, we still have this mindset of saying, this is a law that restricts freedom," Philippe Bergerot, president of the French League Against Cancer, told the Associated Press. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It's been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans

Hookah with friends, smoke breaks at work? Tobacco is silently wrecking you

Smoking and hookah don't just harm your lungs and heart-doctors warn they also quietly damage sexual function, disrupt hormones, and reduce fertility in both men and women

World No Tobacco Day: Theme, significance, history & facts you need to know

This year's theme-'Bright products. Dark intentions'-exposes how tobacco firms use flavours, design, and digital marketing to lure young users

France to ban smoking in public spaces where kids are present from July 1

Starting July 1, France will ban smoking in public spaces like parks, beaches, and bus stops to protect children's health; violators may face fines up to 135 euros ($154)

Cooking fumes and cosmetics may be raising women's risk of lung disease

Women over 40 face a higher risk of chronic lung disease, possibly due to indoor pollution, hormonal shifts, and misdiagnosis - not just smoking

Srinagar airport announces inauguration of smoking zone, receives backlash

With the opening of a smoking area within the Security Hold Area close to Gate 07, Srinagar International Airport "inaugurated" a new facility for travelers, which was criticised by netizens

Each cigarette smoked steals 20 mins of life expectancy: UCL study

Campaign launched by the UK government aims to encourage people to quit smoking as part of their New Year's resolutions

Heart takes 25 years to heal naturally when you quit smoking, study reveals

According to a Korean study conducted on 5.3 million people, the heart may take several decades to match the condition of non-smokers naturally after quitting smoking