Only quitters quit: why nicotine replacements are only half the story Did you resolve to stop smoking this year? Before you slap on that patch or start chomping on nicotine gum you may want to consider this: a recent article in The New York Times reported on a study that shows nicotine replacements do not benefit people who are trying to quit smoking and in some cases can hinder their ability to quit. We put three questions to John Pierce, PhD, professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Sam M. Walton Chair for Cancer Research, who’s 2002 study is cited in the article, about these products and what smokers can do to increase their chances of staying tobacco free. Question: The New York Times article states that study doctors weren’t surprised by these findings due to “the haphazard way many smokers used the products.”  Do people who use nicotine replacement products correctly have better results? A: I was not surprised either. Our results suggest that pharmaceutical advertising may be influencing people to think that it is not so hard to quit. Attempts to quit have gone up over past 15 years, but success rates have gone down. Q: What should a smoker who’s trying to quit do to achieve best results? A: Most smokers want to quit and about 40 percent try each year. Those who have a strong resolve and make a good plan to overcome temptations will be most likely to be successful. This could include medications if they are really worried about the strength of withdrawal symptoms. Q: As in weight loss programs, how much does personal will power play into any decision to quit smoking? A: These medications do not cure a nicotine addiction. If followed properly, all they do is reduce withdrawal so that the smoker can better implement their quitting plan—submitting other behaviors for smoking in trigger situations, reducing the number of trigger situation they are exposed to. It is NOT just willpower, but an effective plan.
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Only quitters quit: why nicotine replacements are only half the story

Did you resolve to stop smoking this year? Before you slap on that patch or start chomping on nicotine gum you may want to consider this: a recent article in The New York Times reported on a study that shows nicotine replacements do not benefit people who are trying to quit smoking and in some cases can hinder their ability to quit.

We put three questions to John Pierce, PhD, professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Sam M. Walton Chair for Cancer Research, who’s 2002 study is cited in the article, about these products and what smokers can do to increase their chances of staying tobacco free.

Question: The New York Times article states that study doctors weren’t surprised by these findings due to “the haphazard way many smokers used the products.”  Do people who use nicotine replacement products correctly have better results?

A: I was not surprised either. Our results suggest that pharmaceutical advertising may be influencing people to think that it is not so hard to quit. Attempts to quit have gone up over past 15 years, but success rates have gone down.

Q: What should a smoker who’s trying to quit do to achieve best results?

A: Most smokers want to quit and about 40 percent try each year. Those who have a strong resolve and make a good plan to overcome temptations will be most likely to be successful. This could include medications if they are really worried about the strength of withdrawal symptoms.

Q: As in weight loss programs, how much does personal will power play into any decision to quit smoking?

A: These medications do not cure a nicotine addiction. If followed properly, all they do is reduce withdrawal so that the smoker can better implement their quitting plan—submitting other behaviors for smoking in trigger situations, reducing the number of trigger situation they are exposed to. It is NOT just willpower, but an effective plan.