Friday, January 28, 2011

It's easier to keep smoking than we thought...

Once upon a time, there was an ex-smoker. He went to a movie. He saw someone smoke. He smoked. The end.

Well, not really. I heard of a study done many years ago that said that if you go to a movie and sit and watch the entire thing (not including potty breaks, of course) that your brain is actually tricked into thinking that you're actually there with the actors, in the same situation.

Ever wonder why you come out of a movie sad (if it's a drama), on edge (if it's an action film), angry (if there's a lot of violence), or giddy (if it's a comedy)??? This is why. So, it's no surprise to me that the following study showed that smokers who see other smokers smoke, even in a film, will be more likely to light up the next time. [Click on the blog title for the whole article]

It doesn't seem fair, but there's been a study done on it. Here's an excerpt:
In this study, researchers led by senior investigator Todd Heatherton, PhD, and graduate student Dylan Wagner of Dartmouth College set out to determine whether the parts of the brain that control that routine gesture could be triggered by simply seeing someone else smoke. The authors found that seeing this familiar action -- even when embedded in a Hollywood movie -- evoked the same brain responses as planning to actually make that movement. These results may provide additional insight for people trying to overcome nicotine addiction, a condition that leads to one in five U.S. deaths each year.
 Think about it next time you follow someone outside to chat and they light up a cigarette. I'm not sure what the implications are for non-smokers, but beware. It's an interesting, yet scary, phenomenon. 

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