Is Stop Smoking Medication Something I Should Consider?

I recently suffered a small stroke, and in an effort to avoid another, I am changing my lifestyle drastically. I’ve been a smoker for over 30 years and smoking seems to be the hardest thing to give up. Is there a stop smoking medication that can help me kick the habit for good? Is using a stop smoking medication a safe and effective way to quit smoking? 

There is only one stop smoking medication that is currently on the market. It is a drug called buproprion or Zyban and was wholly approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997. It is not widely popular because its effects are rather subdued and often nonexistent to some smokers. However, several major pharmaceutical companies claim to be close to developing the perfect stop smoking medication – so close that they’re only a step away from obtaining FDA approval.

Phizer has developed a stop smoking medication called Varenecline and is now on its testing stage. Varenecline acts by binding the nicotine receptors in the brain and curbing the craving for cigarettes supposedly for good. A drug that works the same way, Champix, is currently being tested on volunteers at the Clinical Research Unit of Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI). This stop smoking medication works by stimulating the brain’s nicotine receptors to reduce craving. This occurs from day one. Further cigarettes are also made less satisfying, like smoking a “dummy cigarette” somewhat, according to a patient. The trial is so far helping many smokers who have been smoking their whole lives.

There are also anti-smoking vaccines currently being developed as stop smoking medication. Nabi Pharmaceuticals is developing and testing a vaccine called NicVax, which works by binding and disabling nicotine molecules in the body. Also under development by the Xenova Group in England is a similar stop smoking medication called Ta-Nic. Another stop smoking medication, Rimonabant, is being marketed under the name Acomplia by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Synthelabo. This stop smoking medication supposedly targets the reward system of the brain to curb the craving for cigarettes.

Researchers and pharmaceutical companies are hoping that these breakthrough drugs can do to smoking what Viagra did to erectile dysfunction – eliminate it altogether. Of course, developing such drugs would make a lot of money. They would, however, also provide a viable treatment for smoking cessation and therefore assist smokers in getting a new lease on life. "It's an unmet medical need," said Dr. Karen Reeves, director of clinical development for Pfizer. "The morbidity and mortality rate is so high, and doctors and smokers really have not had enough in their armamentarium to help smokers stop smoking."

With this in mind, we can only hope that any one or more of these new stop smoking medication would be a success. The addiction is great, but the opportunities are greater. Of course, the drugs should be safe as well as work well. Safety is in fact the main concern, but with the right FDA approval and sanction, stop smoking medications is definitely something worth considering.