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Smoking is addictive. These are the conclusions of the US Food and Drug Administration's 1995 report on smoking and addiction:
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87% of those who smoke cigarettes smoke every day. |
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Nearly two-thirds of smokers have their first cigarette within half an hour of waking up. |
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84.3% of those who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day had unsuccessfully tried to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked. |
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A smoker who makes a serious attempt to stop smoking has a less than 5% chance of being off cigarettes a year later. |
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70% of current smokers said that they would like to stop smoking completely. |
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83-87% of cigarette smokers who smoke more than 26 cigarettes a day believe they are addicted. |
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Almost half the smokers who undergo surgery for lung cancer resume smoking. |
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Even after smokers have had their larynxes removed, 40% try smoking again. |
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Even among adults who express a strong desire to quit smoking and who receive optimal medical care, only half the patients studied were able to stop smoking for as long as one week, and the long-term failure rate was more than 80% after patients were withdrawn from nicotine replacement. |
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Major recent studies conclude that at least 75% and as many as 90% of frequent smokers meet the criteria for addiction established by major public health organizations. |
Many other health authorities around the world have reported similar findings, and the conclusion is clear: smoking is addictive.
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