Often the hardest part of quitting smoking is fighting the urge to start up again once you’ve stopped. Nearly 41% of smokers try to quit every year. Unfortunately, only 10% succeed in never lighting up again. Most of the rest find the cravings simply too strong to ignore.

The odds may now have improved, thanks to a new anti-smoking drug called varenicline.

In a head-to-head comparison with bupropion (an anti-depressant that also reduces cravings), varenicline was shown to be 30% more effective at helping smokers quit for the long haul, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Varenicline, which was approved under the name Chantix by the Food and Drug Administration in May, works by stimulating the release of the chemical dopamine in the brain. This reduces cravings while simultaneously blocking the reinforcing effects of nicotine. The result is a reduction in the pleasurable emotions often felt by smokers when they light up—thereby decreasing their risk of relapse.

In the JAMA study, researchers form Oregon Health Sciences University measured the success of varenicline compared to a long-acting version of bupropion and to a placebo (or dummy pill) in 1,025 otherwise healthy adult smokers. More than 40% of the participants on varenicline were no longer smoking by weeks 9 through 12 compared to 29.5% on bupropion and 17.7% on the placebo. By the end of the  two-year treatment, more than 2.5 times as many participants on varenicline were still not smoking as compared to those who took the placebo.

What it Means: Quitting is still tough but the health benefits are worth it and now smokers have another option to help them kick the habit.

From the Archive:
08/22/2005 Stolen Breath
06/20/2005 Behind the Tobacco Retreat