Preliminary research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, has found that some smokers with damage to a part of the brain called the insula may have their addiction to nicotine practically eliminated. The study is published in the January 26, 2007 issue of the journal Science.

Montanans who plan to ring in the New Year by resolving to quit using tobacco can get free help, including a six-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy, simply by mentioning their resolution when they call the Montana Tobacco Quit Line.

Smoking reduction may lead to unexpected quitting. In a review article in the December Nicotine and Tobacco Research, researchers at the University of Vermont have found an unexpected, effective alternative to motivate smokers to quit smoking cutting back.

The early stages of coronary artery disease in young smokers can be reversed quickly if they choose to put out their cigarettes for good, according to a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging study in the December Journal of Nuclear Medicine.