Title: NON-NICOTINE PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION
Abstract: Several arguments can be made in support of the search for non-nicotine therapies to improve smoking cessation success. Theoretical approaches to treating nicotine dependence without perpetuating the nicotine addiction cycle have lead to investigation of a variety of medications. Five categories of non-nicotine smoking cessation medications include those that: modify the effect of neurotransmitters involved in nicotine dependence; stabilize a psychiatric comorbid condition that depends on nicotine; substitute or simulate the reinforcing or sensory effects of tobacco; create an aversion to tobacco use; or relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Each of these categories addresses separate aspects of why a person smokes. The clear effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) demonstrates only a 22%, 6-month abstinence rate (OR = 3).19 For the 75% of smokers who don't succeed using NRTs, there must be alternate options, because repeated nicotine replacement attempts are not as successful as the first use.64 Many smokers do not want to continue nicotine use after discontinuing tobacco, and some fear developing a dependence on the NRT. To achieve the best long-term success, nicotine replacement requires complete abstinence after an abrupt substitution of NRT for tobacco use, whereas non-nicotine therapies may overlap with smoking for days to several weeks in preparation for a quit date.68 In addition, some smokers experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing nicotine replacement products. Because of these arguments and the unsatisfactory success rates for this serious, lethal, and preventable addiction, it is not surprising that so many non-nicotine drugs for smoking cessation have been proposed and studied. This article presents the philosophical overview for each of the five classes of non-nicotine therapies.
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-09-01
Language: en
Type: review
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 50
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot