One of the hardest addictions to manage or quit is smoking cigarettes. The CDC's latest analysis notes that smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion each year, including nearly $170 billion for direct medical care for adults, more than $156 billion in lost productivity, including $5.6 billion in lost productivity due to secondhand smoke exposure.So what should we do to address this health and economic concern? Why are cigarettes still readily available and so addictive? And how do we help those who want to quit and have not been successful or encourage loved ones to quit who continue to smoke while suffering its deadly effects?Dr. Matthew Carpenter is a professor in MUSC's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. A clinical psychologist with a PhD from the University of Vermont, Dr. Carpenter's research interests relate to tobacco use across a broad methodological continuum, from lab-based studies of craving and nicotine dependence to small and large-scale clinical trials for smoking cessation, to public health policy for effective tobacco control. He has led multiple studies and trials on smoking cessation and alternative tobacco products.

Ver todos los episodios