Smoking cessation with and without assistance: a population-based analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine usage rates of smoking-cessation assistance and to compare the success rate of those who used assistance with the success rate of those who did not. METHODS: The data come from the 1996 California Tobacco Survey, a random sample of 4480 individuals (18 years or older) who tried to quit smoking in the 12 months before the survey. We calculated population estimates for demographics, smoking histories, rate of using assistance, and abstinence rates. RESULTS: One fifth (19.9%) of those who attempted to quit smoking used one or more forms of assistance: self-help, counseling, and/or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Heavy smokers were more likely to use assistance than were light smokers. Women were more likely to use assistance than were men, and usage increased with age. Whites were more likely to use NRT than were other ethnic groups. Overall, those who used assistance had a higher success rate than those who did not; the 12-month abstinence rates were 15.2% and 7.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Use of assistance for smoking cessation has increased over recent years, from 7.9% in 1986 to 19.9% in 1996. The use of assistance is associated with a greater success rate. Anti-tobacco campaigns in California and increased availability of multiple forms of assistance probably facilitated the use of assistance and successful quitting for those using assistance.

Neonatal alcohol exposure produces hyperactivity in high-alcohol-sensitive but not in low-alcohol-sensitive rats.

Children of women who consume high amounts of alcohol during their pregnancies vary greatly in physical and behavioral outcomes. Although many factors, such as dose and timing of exposure, undoubtedly contribute to this variation, one important determinant may be genetic differences in the response to alcohol. The present study examined activity levels in high alcohol sensitivity (HAS) and low alcohol sensitivity (LAS) rats following neonatal alcohol exposure. These lines were selectively bred for extremes in ethanol-induced "sleep times." The HAS and LAS offspring were exposed to alcohol via an artificial rearing procedure using the "pup-in-the-cup" technique. Rat pups were exposed to ethanol (6 g/kg/day) from postnatal day (PD) 4 through 7 and faded to a dose of 3 g/kg/day on PD 8 and 9. An artificially reared gastrostomy control group (GC) and a normally reared suckle control group (SC) were also included. Activity level was measured on PD 18 through PD 21 for 30 min daily in automated activity monitors. Neonatal ethanol exposure produced overactivity in HAS rats, relative to their controls, but the same ethanol treatment had no effect on the LAS rats. Importantly, there were no differences in blood alcohol concentrations (around 420 mg/dl) between the two lines during the treatment period. These data suggest that genetic differences in response to alcohol may be a predictor for some of the behavioral teratogenic effects of alcohol.

Neonatal alcohol exposure and early development of motor skills in alcohol preferring and nonpreferring rats.

It has been suggested that differential sensitivity to alcohol might influence the severity of effects seen in offspring following gestational alcohol exposure and data exist to support this contention. Previously, we found that neonatal alcohol treatment produced greater increases in activity at the time of weaning in alcohol preferring (P) than by alcohol nonpreferring (NP) rat lines. Whereas these lines were genetically selected for extremes in alcohol preference they also differ on "sensitivity" to alcohol. Neonatal exposure in rats is used to model human third trimester alcohol exposure and the present study examined motor skills in P and NP rats following such exposure. On postnatal days 4 through 7, P and NP rats received a daily dose of 6 g/kg in four administrations 2 h apart. The alcohol was delivered in a milk solution through an indwelling intragastric cannula. Artificially reared and normally reared controls were included in the study. At 21 and 43 days of age, rats were tested for abnormalities in gait by walking an inclined runway and for dysfunction in balance using the parallel bar test. Neonatal alcohol exposure increased falling from the bars and altered gait and these effects were similar in the P and NP lines. The parallel bar test was generally too difficult for the NP rats, limiting the utility of this test in trying to determine the effects of differential alcohol sensitivity. Thus, the present results suggest that neonatal alcohol exposure had equivalent effects on gait and balance, as measured by falling from parallel bars, in P and NP rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Locomotor activity and alcohol preference in alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats following neonatal alcohol exposure.

Recently, we reported that the alcohol preferring (P) and nonpreferring (NP) rats, bred for differences in alcohol preference, showed different behavioral effects of neonatal alcohol exposure when tested as juveniles. Following neonatal alcohol exposure, the P line showed a greater increase in activity than the NP line relative to their respective controls. In the present study, P and NP rat pups were separated from their mothers and artificially reared from postnatal day (PND) 4 until PND 12. Pups were implanted with intragastric cannulas on PND 4 and fed a stock milk solution every 2 h via an indwelling cannula. One group had alcohol added to the milk diet during the 4 daytime feeds at a dose of 6 g/kg/day on PND 4-7 and a dose of 3 g/kg/day on PNDs 8 and 9. One control group was artificially reared and fed an isocaloric milk solution and a second control group was reared normally with a surrogate dam. Rats were tested as adults (80-day-old) for open-field activity and alcohol preference. Neonatal alcohol exposure caused equivalent increases in activity in P and NP rats. In the ethanol preference test, neither the P nor the NP rats showed any effect of neonatal alcohol treatment although there were large line difference in alcohol preference. These data suggest that the increased susceptibility of young P rats to neonatal alcohol exposure, measured by open-field activity, does not extend to adulthood. Furthermore, neonatal alcohol exposure does not appear to alter alcohol preference in either line.

Hyperactivity in preweanling rats following postnatal alcohol exposure.

Neonatal alcohol exposure in rats has been used as a model to study the effects of third-trimester alcohol consumption in humans. In the present research, male and female rat pups were artificially reared (AR) and received condensed alcohol exposure (6 g/kg/day or 4 g/kg/day) on postnatal days (PNs) 4 through 9. Controls consisted of both artificially reared animals receiving maltose-dextrin substituted for alcohol and normally reared animals. These rats were tested for open-field activity at 18 days of age for four days. Both male and female rat pups that received the high dose of alcohol (6 g/kg/day) evidenced overactivity relative to pups in both control groups. These findings extend previous work and indicate that neonatal alcohol exposure can induce hyperactivity in young male rats.

Alterations in activity following alcohol administration during the third trimester equivalent in P and NP rats.

There is considerable variation in the consequences of alcohol abuse during pregnancy on infant outcome. Although it is clear that a number of factors contribute to this variability, one hypothesis that has received recent attention is the role of genetic differences in response to alcohol. This study examined activity levels in the alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats following neonatal alcohol exposure. Although these lines were selectively bred for differences in voluntary alcohol consumption, they also differ in their sensitivity and tolerance to alcohol. The P and NP offspring were artificially reared and administered ethanol (either 6 or 4 g/kg/day) from postnatal day 4 (PN 4) until PN 10 via intragastric cannula. An artificially reared isocaloric maltose group and a normally reared control group were also included. From PN 18 to PN 21, subjects were tested daily for 30 min in an automated activity monitor. Exposure to either the 4 or 6 g/kg dose of ethanol resulted in overactivity in P rats. However, only the 6 g/kg dose group displayed overactivity among the NP offspring. Furthermore, the level of overactivity displayed by the alcohol-exposed P rats was significantly greater than that displayed by the alcohol-exposed NP rats. These data suggest that genetic differences in response to alcohol may be a predictor for the behavioral teratogenic effects of alcohol.

Decreased tolerance to ethanol-induced hypothermia in long-term castrate male rats.

A potential role for central stores of vasopressin in the development of tolerance was studied in the long-term castrate rat. Vasopressin stores in the septal region are known to be dramatically depressed following long-term castration. Sprague-Dawley male rat littermates were castrated at 26 days of age or given a sham surgery. Experiments began when animals reached 130 days of age. Tolerance to the hypothermic effects of ethanol occurred in intact but not castrate animals over the course of six daily IP injections of 3.0 g/kg ethanol. Both groups exhibited tolerance to the length of time needed to return to baseline temperature over the 6 days of ethanol injections. Tolerance to this effect of ethanol was still evident in intact animals but not castrates following another injection of ethanol 1 week later. No tolerance developed to the rebound hyperthermia that occurred in both groups. Blood ethanol levels did not differ significantly between castrate and intact littermates administered a single dose of ethanol. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that endogenous vasopressin is involved in the development of some aspects of tolerance to ethanol.

Recognition of food in weanling rats exposed to alcohol prenatally.

Offspring of rats fed a liquid diet containing ethanol during their pregnancies were compared to controls on a caloric discrimination test beginning at 22 days of age. All pups received simultaneous choice between a palatable, noncaloric diet and a similar diet containing starch. Each diet contained a distinctive flavor. To test for flavor preference learning, pups then received an extinction test: a simultaneous choice between two noncaloric diets, identical except for flavor. Prenatal alcohol exposure had no substantial effect on the caloric discrimination, and all groups preferentially ingested the starch diet on all test days. However, during the extinction test, alcohol-exposed pups showed a significantly weaker flavor preference than control pups. These data extend the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning and ingestive behavior to include solid food discriminations at the time of weaning.

Chemical cues used by prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) to follow trails of rodent prey.

Each of 10 prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) was exposed to three types of trails after striking rodent prey (Mus musculus). One trail was made with mouse urine, another was made with tap water, and the third consisted of materials from mouse integument. The snakes exhibited trailing behavior only when integumentary trails were available. It was concluded that prairie rattlesnakes do not utilize urinary cues; instead they attend to materials associated with rodent skin and fur.

Recognition of food by individual, food-naive, weaning rats (Rattus norvegicus).

To control and observe first feeding experiences, pups were reared without access to food. At weaning age, individual pups received simultaneous access to a palatable, noncaloric diet and a similar diet containing starch. Each diet contained a flavor cue. Within 20 min of sampling both diets pups preferentially ingested the caloric alternative. Further tests indicated that pups learned a preference for flavor cues paired specifically with ingestion of starch. In caloric discrimination tests in which the diets were not distinguished by artificial flavors, pups did not show the rapid preference for the caloric diet seen in earlier experiments. We suggest that recognition and preference for the caloric diet is based on its rapid postingestive effects rather than readily preferred sensory features of the starch. Our findings demonstrate the abilities of individual, food-naive pups to rapidly recognize food and indicate a role for associative learning in the onset of independent feeding.

Effects of poisoning on predatory and ingestive behavior toward artificial prey in rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Ingestion of novel prey by vertebrate predators that is followed by illness typically decreases the predators' eating the prey more readily than their pursuing or killing it. We used artificial prey-food items (rolling ball bearings that predicted food pellets) to model and extend this finding in laboratory rats. During daily experimental sessions presentations of a novel bearing-food combination were intermixed with presentations of a familiar bearing-food combination. The poisoned animals received lithium chloride injections after each session. Experiment 1a showed that: (a) Poisoning markedly decreased ingestion of the novel food without decreasing the frequency of contact (nose, seize, carry, or chew) with the novel bearing predicting that food. (b) However, poisoning did significantly decrease the average duration of contact with the novel bearing. (c) Poisoning did not decrease behavior toward the familiar food and bearing. Experiment 1b showed that after moderate exposure to pairings of the novel food and bearing, poisoning decreased behavior toward both novel and familiar food and bearings. The results indicate that important aspects of predation can be simulated and examined in the laboratory by using artificial prey-food items. These results also support the conclusions that predatory behavior and ingestion reflect separable modes of behavior and that the presence of novel prey interferes with the generalization of poisoning effects to familiar prey.

Running and drinking by rats outside the schedule session.

Two experiments measured the effects of a contingency schedule relating running and eating on the behavior of rats during an "experimental hour" and during two hours before and afterwards. The behaviors recorded during the surrounding hours were drinking and perching (Experiment 1) and running, drinking and perching (Experiment 2). The temporal pattern of drinking in both experiments was unaffected by changes in conditions during the experimental hour. However, drinking prior to the experimental hour in Experiment 2 was less than in Experiment 1 probably due to competition from wheel running. Rats showed unreliable patterns of perching in both experiments. Finally, running increased both within and outside the experimental hour during the schedule conditions. The increase in wheel running surrounding the schedule hour may represent a combination of species-typical foraging responses and the failure of stimulus control of instrumental behavior. These data suggest that behavior regulation and optimality theories may need to consider the species-typical mechanisms and stimulus control necessary for animals to integrate behavior over time.

Early weaning does not accelerate the expression of nursing-related taste aversions.

Preweanling rat pups do not display an aversion to a flavor conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with illness if the CS is presented during the act of suckling. In contrast, 20-day-old pups do form such a conditioned taste aversion while suckling (Martin & Alberts, 1979). The dissolution of the nursing-related "blockade" of toxiphobia correlates with the onset of solid food intake. Moreover, prevention of weaning prolongs the blockade; ingestive experience with solid food is necessary for the expression of nursing-related taste aversions in 26-day-old "food naive" pups (Gubernick & Alberts, 1984). The present experiments tested the possibility that premature weaning to solid food might accelerate the onset of nursing-related toxiphobia. Pups were weaned at 13 days of age and ingested only food and water. These prematurely weaned pups received taste aversion conditioning while suckling on Day 16, but showed no aversion to the CS flavor during a later food test. Thus, conditions that lead to early weaning (ingestion of solid food) do not accelerate the onset of taste aversions to mother's milk.