How the Intolerable Becomes Acceptable
New evidence of our strong psychological need to rationalize the status quo.
Smoking
A 'Pacific Standard' Guide to Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions
Find your purpose, forgive yourself for slip-ups, and have someone gently prod you.
Graphic Anti-Smoking Ads May Backfire
New research finds that, for particularly vulnerable teens, they may be counterproductive.
Can Smoking During Pregnancy Create a Socially Deviant Kid?
New research suggests tobacco exposure in the womb elevates one's risk of later antisocial behavior.
In Defense of E-Cigarettes
They’re already stigmatized out of all proportion to their health effects — and yes, they can help you quit smoking.
Romper los Malos Hábitos
Solicitando al gobierno para que te ayude a mantener tu resolución de Año Nuevo.
How a Law Can Help People Break a Bad Habit
Asking the government to help you keep your New Year's resolution.
Smoking Raises Grandkids' Asthma Risks Long Before They're Born
A new study finds a link between grandmothers' smoking and their grandchildren developing asthma and wheezing.
With Nicotine Addiction, It's Like Mother, Like Daughter
A new analysis shows parents have a powerful influence on their children's smoking habits, and nicotine-addicted mothers have a particularly strong effect on their daughters.
'Hardcore' Smokers Are Softening Up
A new study questions whether there really are smokers who can't or won't quit—and whether encouraging them to use other nicotine products is the right way to get them off cigarettes.
Where the Impulse to Suck Smoke Remains Strong
Where are college students and the mentally ill most likely to pick up a cigarette habit?
Yes, Smoking Will Probably Kill You
An independent Australian study adds even more evidence of smoking's deadly consequences.
There's Hope for Ex-Smokers' Brain Tissue Yet
A new study shows that, after quitting, smoking-induced harm to brain tissue may be reversed over time.
Rebellious Teens and Their E-Cigarettes
California wants to cut down on teenage vaping. The best way to do that is not by telling teens to stop.
Addiction Is Different in America
Whether it's our drug use, our laws, or the treatment options we have on offer, the U.S. frequently stands out. And that's not always something to celebrate.
These Mental Illnesses Are More Dangerous Than Smoking
Many mental illnesses and addictions are more heavily associated with premature deaths than heavy smoking, yet we tend to be less aware of their risks.
It Just Got Easier to Ban Outdoor Smoking
A new mapping technique could help public officials make the case to ban smoking in public areas.
Smoking Mad: Tobacco Users Caught Up in Insurer's Obamacare Glitch
After signing up for coverage and disclosing they were smokers, about 100 New Hampshire consumers, including Terry Wetherby, find their new Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield policies canceled because they were charged incorrect “non-smoker” rates.
How Many Cigarettes Make You a Smoker?
A surprising number of people smoke often but still don't consider themselves smokers, according to a new study.
Are No Internet Comments the Best Internet Comments?
A comment experiment with anti-smoking PSAs offers surprising results.
Smokers in Suriname Light Up 109 Times a Day
Though smoking there isn't prevalent, the habits of daily users are extreme.
If You Want Free Patches, Pretend to Smoke More Than 7 Cigs a Day
Mike Dang called a hotline that helps people quit smoking. The only issue: he'd never started.
The Trippy New Era: Returning to Hallucinogens as a Treatment for Addiction
LSD, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms are helping people face death, cope with trauma, and quit booze and smokes. Can these drugs revolutionize addiction treatment, or is it all just tangerine trees and marmalade skies?