Anti Smoking Drug May Help People Quit

The anti smoking medication Chantix boosts the possibility that cigarette smokers who aren’t ready to quit cold turkey will stop smoking gradually, a new study suggests. The study demonstrates that people can use Chantix to quit smoking. The study was funded by Pfizer Inc. which manufactures Chantix.

Chantix appears to help smokers reduce smoking by making smoking less satisfying. The two-pill-a-day treatment costs about $280 per month, and patients are ,dvised to use it for 12 to 24 weeks.

For the study. the researchers targeted a specific type of smoker: those who weren’t ready to quit within the next month but were ready to reduce smoking and quit within three months. For the study, researchers in 10 countries randomly assigned more than 1,500 smokers to take Chantix or a placebo over 24 weeks.

All the smokers were prepared to cut down but not quit completely. The researchers questioned participants and tested their exhaled carbon monoxide levels to see how much smoking they’ve done. After a month, 47 percent of those who took Chantix reduced smoking by more than half or stopped altogether, compared to 31 per cent for those who took the placebo. From 21 to 52 weeks, more than a quarter of those who took Chantix had not smoked, compared to 10 percent of those who took the placebo.

However, the use of Chantix comes with serious side effects. About 3.7 percent of those who used Chantix showed serious side effects compared to 2.2 percent of those who took the placebo. Side effects included nausea, insomnia, abnormal dreams and headache. The figures translate to one person experiencing adverse side effects for every 67 people taking Chantix. On the other hand, there are 14 million smokers who wouldn’t mind reducing their smoking and gradually quitting. All these people could potentially be treated with Chantix.

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