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Despite anti-smoking campaigns, nicotine gum, vaping devices and other methods to combat smoking, approximately 40 million people in the United States still smoke tobacco cigarettes. The known health risks badociated with smoking are serious, but it is difficult to stop smoking and many smokers find themselves unable to resist the urge. While a perfect solution to this problem remains elusive, a new study reveals a simple method to reduce cravings for cigarettes.
According to a study recently published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychologypleasant smells may be the key to reducing the cravings for smoking quickly – albeit temporarily. The results are based on research involving 232 adult smokers who did not use smoking alternatives and who were not trying to quit at the time of the study.
These participants were instructed to avoid smoking eight hours before the start of the experiment. After eight hours, participants felt a variety of pleasant smells, including vanilla, chocolate, apples, peppermint and lemon. In addition, they smelled of tobacco from the favorite brand of different participants, an unpleasant chemical smell and something lacking in perfume.
The participants lit and held a cigarette of the brand of their choice, then extinguished it and badessed their degree of thirst. After that, participants felt their best rated smell earlier in the experiment. Participants rated their craving for smoking every 60 seconds, after sniffing the pleasant aroma for five minutes.
Overall, researchers found that the need to smoke smokers dropped by 19.3 points on average. In comparison, the smell of tobacco only decreased cravings by 11.7 points on average, slightly above the 11.2 point reduction observed among participants who had received an odor at White.
It's unclear why breathing pleasant smells reduces cravings, but it can be effective by diverting the smoker from the urge and giving him time to devote himself to another option.
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