In a new study on smoking cessation published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers sought to assess the safety and efficacy of bupropion, the active ingredient in the antidepressant Wellbutrin and the smoking cessation aid Zyban. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 151 smokers hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome were treated for eight weeks with either bupropion slow-release or placebo in conjunction with nurse-led hospital- and telephone-based support. After measuring smoking abstinence rates following three, six and twelve months, researchers found no difference in the rates of smoking abstinence between patients in the treatment versus placebo groups.
“Put simply, it’s studies like these that demonstrate why we’re so interested in tobacco harm reduction strategies using more effective smokeless tobacco products,” says ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan.
