Senator Barack Obama is trying to do something many Americans dream about. No, it’s not running for President, it’s trying to give up smoking. Every year millions of smokers try to quit the habit; most don’t succeed. Now a fascinating new study could help them where nicotine gum, patches and other tools failed.

Tobacco Relapse Prevention

The Tobacco Relapse Prevention Project teaches is a mindfulness-based program that gives people skills to help cope with the stress, the cravings, and the mood swings that frequently lead smokers to relapse. The project is the brainchild of the people at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute. They’re trying to see how effective these techniques are in helping people kick a deadly habit.

Mindfulness techniques have been shown in other studies to help reduce stress, to ease tension and improve mood, even to improve health. The techniques are not difficult to learn. They simply teach individuals how to be aware of the moods or moments that trigger the need to smoke, how to avoid them, how to cope with them, how to choose how they respond instead of just reacting out of habit.

Kicking the Habit

We all know how bad smoking is for us. It’s estimated that around 440,000 Americans will die this year as a result of cigarette smoking. But it’s also one of the hardest things to give up. Studies show it takes an average of six attempts before a smoker finally kicks the habit.

That’s where this new method comes in. It may help smokers quit sooner, it may help people who have already quit avoid relapses, and it may help encourage others who still smoke to try and give it up.

These same techniques are also being tried to see if they can help people with alcohol problems stop drinking, and even to help women who have a history of anxiety or depression and are pregnant for the first time. In fact, even if people who learn the mindfulness techniques don’t quit smoking they may still benefit by just learning skills in how to cope with day to day stress.