Australia: Doctors have stated that taking a medication that reduces nicotine cravings increases the chances of smokers who want to quit smoking by more than twice as much. The medication may also be a significant factor in helping people kick the habit.
Doctors examined the evidence supporting the use of cytisine, a natural ingredient found in laburnum seeds, as a medication to assist smokers in kicking their addiction, although many smokers now turn to products that deliver nicotine more safely than tobacco, such as vapes, patches, and gums.
Although the medication has been used for decades in central and eastern Europe, it is not available in the majority of nations, including the US. The pills will be available later this month in the UK, where the drug has only recently received regulatory approval.
The researchers discovered that cytisine pills were more than twice as successful as a placebo in aiding smokers to stop, and several of the trials included in the review indicated that the medication was comparable to varenicline and might even be more successful than nicotine replacement therapy. Details are published in the journal Addiction.
The most recent results are in line with a significant study conducted in September by Oxford University, which found that varenicline, cytisine, and e-cigarettes were all equally successful in helping 14 out of 100 smokers stop for at least six months. Only about six smokers per 100 quit for as long without using any of the stop-smoking aids, that report found.
By the end of January, cytisine pills will be a prescription-only medication in the UK. However, the price, $146 for a 25-day supply of 100 pills, may discourage some places from offering the medication as part of their healthcare offerings.
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