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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:10 PM Jan 2012

Nicotine therapy doesn't help people quit smoking - study

GUMS, patches and nasal sprays that supply smokers with nicotine do not help people quit cigarettes over the long term any better than going it alone, a US study says.

The research by the Harvard University School of Public Health followed 787 adults in the state of Massachusetts who had recently quit smoking, and found that over time just as many relapsed after nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as without - about a third.

"This study shows that using NRT is no more effective in helping people stop smoking cigarettes in the long term than trying to quit on one's own," said lead author Hillel Alpert, a research scientist at Harvard.

Study participants were surveyed over three periods: 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006.

Not only were relapse rates about the same among those who used NRT and those who did not, the study found that heavily dependent smokers who took NRT without professional therapy were twice as likely to relapse as those who did not use NRT.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/nicotine-therapy-doesnt-help-quit-study/story-e6freuyi-1226240440047

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Nicotine therapy doesn't help people quit smoking - study (Original Post) The Straight Story Jan 2012 OP
I can vouch for that.. tridim Jan 2012 #1
The cost of patches DearAbby Jan 2012 #2
The only benefit is that the nicotine is delivered in a much safer way. tridim Jan 2012 #3
Yes - their cost KT2000 Jan 2012 #8
True but people get very rich promoting that myth n/t malaise Jan 2012 #4
Somebodies want you to believe you can't quit 'cold turkey'. but 'ct' is the... Tikki Jan 2012 #5
Hell, I've been using it since 1990 w/o relapse ErikJ Jan 2012 #6
They helped a bit for the first few days quaker bill Jan 2012 #7
Switch to a quality electronic cig if you just can't kick it. Its thousands of times safer. phleshdef Jan 2012 #9

tridim

(45,358 posts)
1. I can vouch for that..
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:13 PM
Jan 2012

All it does is addict you to the NRT product, which BTW are much more expensive than cigarettes.

DearAbby

(12,461 posts)
2. The cost of patches
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:14 PM
Jan 2012

one can get their nicotine fix cheaper with the tobacco. It's a scam to drain money from those who have so little to spend for either, a vicious cycle of addiction.

tridim

(45,358 posts)
3. The only benefit is that the nicotine is delivered in a much safer way.
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:19 PM
Jan 2012

But I agree with everything you said. NRT is criminally overpriced. I've never found any official data, but my educated guess (based on looking at the raw ingredients) is that the markup is around 10,000%, just like many other pharmaceuticals.

KT2000

(20,544 posts)
8. Yes - their cost
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 08:32 PM
Jan 2012

keeps rising with the cost of tobacco, which rises mostly due to taxes on tobacco - not nicotine replacement products.
Would love to see how much it costs to manufacture a patch.
Preditors.

Tikki

(14,539 posts)
5. Somebodies want you to believe you can't quit 'cold turkey'. but 'ct' is the...
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:34 PM
Jan 2012

easiest, cheapest, most thorough way to quit....and the money saved starts piling up and up from day one.

When I was doing jury duty last year, some of the youngers said they heard it was actually impossible to really quit..

What horse sh*t...I told them that virtually everyone I know who used to smoke...has QUIT.



Tikki
smoke free 8 years

 

ErikJ

(6,335 posts)
6. Hell, I've been using it since 1990 w/o relapse
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 06:44 PM
Jan 2012

I was a light smoker then switched to gum and nico lozenges for the past 20 years.
I still use them because I like nicotine. But its a harmless delivery system so no cancer risk.

quaker bill

(8,223 posts)
7. They helped a bit for the first few days
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 07:14 PM
Jan 2012

I was required to transition away from smoking on company time during breaks to no smoking during the workday. It was a condition of continued employment.

I used lozenges as needed for the first week. I found I did not need them after that and still have a half full vial on my desk...


They do help a bit, if you have decided to do it anyway.

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