BACKGROUND The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) is used for assessing nicotine dependence. A shorter test derived from the FTND used for the general population is the Heavy Smoking Index (HSI) (six questions vs. two). The objective of this study is to compare the validity of the HSI versus the FTND. METHODS A survey of tobacco use in the general population was carried out in the...

Cigarette smoking remains a leading cause of preventable disease (cancer, heart disease) and premature death in the United States and other countries (Surgeon General’s report, 2004, 2010). The prevalence of tobacco smoking in the developed world has decreased dramatically in the last decades whilst the trend for the increase in the developing countries is growing. It is estimated that by 2030,...

The level of nicotine dependence is important in assessing the effectiveness of smoking prevention and control programmes ( Breslau et al., 2001) There are several scales available for measuring addiction level such as the Fagerström Tolerance of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) (Heatherton et al., 1991) , the Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS) ( Etter, 2005) and the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale ...

BACKGROUND Even after quitting illicit drugs, tobacco abuse remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in former injection drug users. An important unmet need in this population is to have effective interventions that can be used in the context of community based care. Contingency management, where a patient receives a monetary incentive for healthy behavior choices, and incorporation of ...

OBJECTIVES To determine the safety and efficacy of the nicotine patch and gum for adolescents who want to quit smoking. DESIGN Double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, 3-arm trial with a nicotine patch (21 mg), nicotine gum (2 and 4 mg), or a placebo patch and gum; all participants received cognitive-behavioral group therapy. SETTING Inner-city, outpatient clinic on the East Coast. Subjects....