Smoking cessation aids don t work in the UK either

A major research trial in the UK has just underscored the inadequacy of standard nicotine replacement therapy as a means of helping smokers quit.

The study, which was published in BMJ and funded by the Department of Health and the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, aimed to determine whether intensive counseling via telephone could improve smoking cessation rates among those who used nicotine patches. The randomized controlled trial, which involved nearly 2,600 smokers, ultimately found that the telephone counseling made no difference. However, the dismal success rate less than 19 percent remained smoke-free six months after quitting demonstrates that a more effective method is needed.

It s been shown over and over again that standard nicotine replacement therapy is largely ineffective, says ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, nodding at the major study that made headlines this January. That study found that smokers who attempted to quit using nicotine gum or patches were just as likely to relapse as those who quit without any cessation aid. And these people were actually highly motivated to quit, ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross points out, noting that smokers who volunteer to take part in a cessation study typically have higher success rates than the average smoker. The success rate among most smokers after a year of trying to quit with nicotine patches or gum is actually closer to 10 percent, he says.

Once again, for those who are interested in a significantly more successful approach to helping smokers quit, we point you to our two most recent publications on the topic.