What is Breathe Well?
Breathe Well is UCLA's tobacco-free initiative. You can learn more by visiting the Breathe Well website.
Basic information from the web
MedlinePlus provides links to authoritative information for the general public on many health issues. You can find summary information, news articles, health check tools, statistics, and a link to selected journal articles. Here are some links to MedlinePlus. Use the search box if you do not find what you are looking for.
Relevant organizations
- Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB)The Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) leads and collaborates on research, and disseminates evidence-based findings to prevent, treat, and control tobacco use.
- TobaccoFreeCAThis website from California's Tobacco Control Program contains information on tobacco issues, quitting smoking, media resources, and more.
- American Lung AssociationThe American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco/NicotineNIDA's mission is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. NIDA focuses on tobacco and nicotine in addition to other drugs of abuse.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Smoking & Tobacco UseAs the nation’s health protection agency, CDC works to save lives and protect people from health threats. Tobacco use is a significant concern for CDC.
Other useful links
Guidelines and recommendations
- CDC - Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control ProgramsAn evidence-based guide that provides recommendations related to state and community interventions, health communication interventions, and cessation interventions that seek to prevent or reduce tobacco use.
- Recommendations Regarding Interventions to Reduce Tobacco Use and Exposure to Environmental Tobacco SmokeThis report provides recommendations on interventions to reduce tobacco use and ETS exposure. These recommendations present options appropriate for communities and health care systems, as well as state and national programs.
- Institute of Medicine (IOM) — Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the NationA report brief that highlights strategies that governmental and health agencies in the U.S. should pursue in order to achieve substantial and long-lasting reductions in tobacco use. These strategies include supporting comprehensive state tobacco control programs, increasing tobacco taxes, and strengthening smoking bans.
- Healthy People 2020: Tobacco UseHealthy People 2020 provides an overview of the problem, objectives, interventions, resources, and snapshots of national data.
- World Health Organization Policy Recommendations for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco DependenceThe World Health Organization has developed a broad framework of recommendations for addressing treatment of tobacco dependence in countries throughout the world.
Data and statistics
- California Health Interview Survey - AskCHISThis tool lets you query results from the California Health Interview Survey. You can look at smoking data under the Health Behaviors category. It's free to create an account.
- CDC Data and Statistics: Smoking and Tobacco UseFind data and other information from various sources, such as CDC surveillance systems, journal articles, and reports.
- Helping Young Smokers Quit: Identifying Best Practices for Tobacco Cessation, Phase II National Program Evaluation, 2003-2006The Helping Young Smokers Quit (HYSQ) initiative was a multi-phase project that addressed the critical need to disseminate effective, developmentally appropriate cessation programs for young smokers.
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Online data and mapping application with access to more than 10,000 indicators for U.S. demographics, housing and real estate, income, mortgages, health, and more. Create custom maps, tables, and reports and upload your own data without expensive software and training. Online access restricted to UCLA.
- CDC — Cigarette Smoking in the United StatesA webpage that describes the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the U.S. by race/ethnicity, sex, age, education, and poverty status. It also provides information on cigarette smoking among specific populations such as among pregnant women and among those with mental health conditions.
Searching for research literature
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowPubMed is a very large database with records for millions of articles. It's easy to get overwhelmed! A great way to start your research is to take advantage of PubMed's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Try using the MeSH terms for Smoking, Tobacco Smoke Pollution, Electronic Cigarettes, or Smoking Cessation. You can browse for MeSH terms in the MeSH database. When you find one that you want to use, click the button on the right that says "Add to search builder." When you're finished adding MeSH terms to your search, you can search PubMed using the "Search PubMed" button. Getting too many results? Try going back to MeSH and checking the box that says "Restrict to MeSH Major Topic." This will limit your search results to only the most relevant articles. Remember you can also use the filters on the left side of the PubMed results screen! Using the Article Type - Review filter is particularly helpful when you're starting your research.