Survey On Modern Day Smoking Cessation

These days, we are bombarded with smoking cessation commercials. Nicorette gum, Chantix prescription pills, Nicorette patch, etc. Which works? What's worth the time and money? A study was published in the November 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, that claims the key to success, is a combination of the nicotine patch, and the nicotine lozenge.

It was theorized that the increased success, was due to the fluctuation and spikes in blood nicotine levels, mimicking that of smoking. The combination features a patch that has a steady delivery of nicotine, while the lozenge provides a spike of nicotine to help curb cravings. This combination was even more successful than the use of prescription antidepressant medications such as Chantix and Wellbutrin.

When they measured the success rate for smokers after 6 months against other popular smoking cessation modalities, they found only the patch and lozenge combo worked better than a placebo, and test subjects had a higher rate of quitting after only 1 week. This clinical trial followed over 1500 adult smokers who smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day for 6 months before the study. They were randomly assigned to a placebo, a lozenge, a patch, a pill, a prescription pill-lozenge combination, or a combination of the patch and lozenge. Each patient received counseling, and were tested periodically for success.

Smoking cessation lozenges and patches are readily available over the counter, and are highly affordable when compared to cigarettes and the complications associated with them. In many cases, these OTC medications are much safer than going on long term antidepressant regimens. It just may be a whole lot more convenient for you as well. Perhaps the lozenge rolling around in you mouth provides an oral stimulus as well as a spike in nicotine to satisfy the cravings. Whatever it is though, it just might be worth a try!