Health Buzz: Smoking Bans and Other Health News

Would a Smoking Ban Make You Kick the Habit? 

Do smoking bans in public places lead smokers to quit? Perhaps not, if you go by the results of the French smoking ban. A year after a smoking ban was implemented in cafes and restaurants, the French still smoke as much as they did before the ban, according to Pakistan's Daily Times . Sales of tobacco in France have remained steady since 2004; 2008 will be the fourth consecutive year that France has not seen a decrease in smoking, according to the French Office for the Prevention of Smoking. Efforts to ban smoking continue to progress steadily in the United States as well. All 50 states and Washington, D.C., have some sort of restriction on indoor smoking—banning smoking in schools, day-care facilities, government buildings, and workplaces—and multiple states have recently passed more comprehensive bans to cover most public places, including restaurants and bars. During the 2008 legislative session alone, 12 states enacted smoking bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Learn the secrets of those who've successfully quit smoking, and consult our list of 12 reasons to really quit smoking.

How to Help Kids Handle the Holidays in Tough Times

Lots of kids aren't going to find what they asked for under the tree this Christmas, and lots of parents are stressed out about not being able to deliver a perfect holiday, Nancy Shute writes. Four fifths of people expect a stressful holiday because of the economy this month, according to a new poll from the American Psychological Association, and the number's even higher among parents. Mary Alvord, a psychologist in Rockville, Md., who serves as a public education coordinator for the APA, said that disappointment can be a valuable gift for kids. "Disappointment is one of those life lessons we all need to learn," Alvord says. Teach kids now that they don't always get what they want, and they'll be equipped to cope with disappointment throughout life.

If you are stressed about money, your kids may be, too. Also, browse our green gift guide for children.

Even Moderate Medical Costs Mean Hardship

The debate over healthcare affordability often focuses on monthly premiums, but it's the relentless, never-ending drain from copayments and other expenses not covered by health insurance that often gets people into trouble, Michelle Andrews reports. And these days, people are financially stretched to the point where it doesn't take much to cause hardship: Expenses exceeding just 2.5 percent of family income can do it, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change. At that level, a third of families reported having problems covering their medical bills, more than twice as many as had trouble when their bills were below 2.5 percent of family income.

As health insurance premiums continue to rise, it might be a good time to try these four ways to save on your medical bills.

—January W. Payne

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