A new report out of the vast Cochrane Library database reveals that several of the commonly used products to help smokers quit actually do work! Or do they?
These results are derived from a huge meta-analysis of 267 trials involving 101,000 study subjects who were given one or more nicotine-replacement treatments (NRTs) and/or drugs such as Zyban or Chantix between 2008 and 2012, as compared to placebo treatment, also known as cold turkey. The smoking status of the group was evaluated 6 months after the initiation of treatment.
The apparent good news was that each of the treatments was associated with an increased rate of cessation, approximately doubling the success rate, or smoking abstinence, at 6 months. Somewhat surprisingly, Pfizer s Chantix (varenicline) was the most effective, with an almost three-fold higher quit rate than placebo. Further data analysis showed that combinations of NRT methods worked better than single treatments, but none of the NRTs surpassed the others. Even better: no major increase in adverse effects were noted.
So what s the not-so-good news? Nowhere to be found are the actual rates of quitting, either cold turkey or aided by NRT or drug. The bland twice as good doesn t sound so wonderful when one realizes that the placebo/cold turkey quit rate for addicted smokers is about 5 percent! So these amazing results mean that between 10 percent and 15 percent of the treated subjects were successful at staying smokefree even at 6 months, which is not the same as successful quitting long-term, by the way (most success rates are adjudged at one year s abstinence).
ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross had this perspective: In none of the many media stories on this study were the key findings reported either. It s almost as if the authors who were led by Dr. Kate Cahill, based at the University of Oxford, UK were trying to hide the raw figures, perhaps out of sadness at how low they were? Just a guess on my part. But how could such a detailed study be done and published while ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room?
Nevertheless, if I know my tobacco prohibitionists endemic at the government and NGO public health agencies, you will soon be hearing about how smokers who want to quit should stick with the FDA-approved medicines and NRTs, because they are so much better than better than what, exactly? Well, better than nothing at all, anyway. Nothing more can be said, based on this report.
My advice: try a reduced harm nicotine product such as snus or e-cigarette if a few weeks or months into an NRT you find the old craving back again like a bad virus. But don t expect to get that advice from the FDA, the CDC, or the American Cancer Society.