Science of Addiction: Nicotine, National Institute on Drug Abuse (PDF, 36KB, requires Adobe® Reader®)
Screen Out!
AMA and AMA Alliance, the largest volunteer arm of the AMA representing the families of medicine, are currently engaged in Screen Out!, a three year public awareness campaign with the ultimate goal of getting tobacco out of youth-rated films. Experts estimate that movies with tobacco imagery influence more than one third of all new teen smokers to start.
Take action! Sign our online petition urging the Motion Picture Association of America to remove all smoking imagery from new G, PG and PG-13 movies. To learn more about this campaign or to get involved, please visit the Screen Out! Web site.
AMA activities
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States; exposure to secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of death. Tobacco use is a contributor to every chronic disease including diabetes, asthma and heart problems. The American Medical Association (AMA) has historically been an active supporter of passage of clean indoor air laws, increases in excise taxes on tobacco products, and other restrictions on tobacco use, promotion and advertising. The AMA supports the use of clinical interventions and treatments to reduce smoking and helps physicians to help their patients avoid exposure to secondhand smoke and to quit smoking and other tobacco use. Smoking cessation is also one of the four major behavior changes encouraged through the AMA’s Healthy Lifestyles Initiative, along with reducing excess alcohol use, encouraging increased physical activity and improved nutrition.
AMA smoking cessation and other tobacco control activities are housed in the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse Prevention in the Healthy Lifestyles Division. Federal laws and regulations and international tobacco control activities are also address by the AMA Advocacy staff.
Current activities include development and dissemination of tools for physicians to help patients to quit smoking and two cooperative agreements with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop education and audiovisual resources for physicians to counsel people on the health risks associated with and ways to avoid secondhand smoke exposure. A special focus is to decrease the exposure to secondhand smoke among low income patients and children with asthma and other negative health impacts from exposure.
Content provided by: Healthy Lifestyles