Medication Makes It Easier To Quit Smoking

Giving up smoking is no easy task. Statistics show that many looking to chuck the nasty habit will have relapses or even give up on quitting. The powerful component of cigarette smoke that makes it so addictive is nicotine, which takes just seconds to enter the blood and brain.

New findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) have found that a new drug could be key to helping reluctant smokers stop smoking.

For the study, more than 1,500 smokers were enrolled who said they were not ready to quit in the next 30 days. However, they did want to give up smoking by a three month mark.

After six months, findings revealed that those who received varenciline were significantly more likely to quit than those who received a sugar pill, at 32.1 percent to 6.9 percent, respectively.

Furthermore, findings showed that 27 percent of the participants who received the medication had quit smoking, versus 9.9 percent who had received the placebo.

However, like anything, the drug comes with some side-effects, including increased risk of nausea and potential thoughts of suicide.

"This study is important because this opens the door to treatment for approximately 14 million smokers who have no intention of quitting in the next 30 days but are willing to reduce their smoking rate while working toward a quit attempt," said lead author Jon Ebbert, associate director for research in the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, in a news release. "Smokers should know that varenicline can help them quit smoking if they want to reduce their smoking prior to completely stopping."

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