Confirmed: Nicotine patches don’t work
For the study, researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts Boston followed 787 adult smokers in Massachusetts who had recently quit smoking. They asked whether the participants had used a nicotine replacement therapy – including nicotine patches, gum, inhalers or nasal sprays – to help them quit, and if they had, for how long. Participants were also asked if they had received help from a quit-smoking program, doctor, counselor or other professional.
What did the study show? Almost one third of quitters relapsed. And the relapse rate was the same for those who used nicotine therapies for more than six weeks and those who didn’t – with or without professional counseling. Whether the participants were heavy or light smokers made no difference either on the therapies’ effectiveness.
“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,” study co-author Hillel Alpert, a research scientist at Harvard Medical School said in a written statement.
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They worked for me, twelve years ago.
Typhoon on January 10, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Worked for my wife. Helped that I told her we’d never get married unless she quit.
The Count on January 10, 2012 at 8:26 PM
You quit smoking through your own effort. If you don’t -really- want to quit, they won’t help.
lorien1973 on January 10, 2012 at 8:26 PM
If you put them right on your lips and seal your mouth shut they do.
profitsbeard on January 10, 2012 at 8:26 PM
I quit coldturkey on Jan. 1. So far, so good. Also, I don’t smell like a foul ashcan.
Instead, drink booze;
keep you safe from Obama.
That dude is whacked out.
Herald of Woe on January 10, 2012 at 8:30 PM
Not a shock.
Pablo Honey on January 10, 2012 at 8:31 PM
I tried to quit cold turkey and less than 24 hours later I was climbing the walls. I took a little time to recover my motivation and tried again, this time using the patch. That was December 3rd, 1999. I haven’t smoked since. They were definitely a crucial element for me.
backwoods conservative on January 10, 2012 at 8:32 PM
You must be a masochist. Booze caused major cigarette cravings back when I quit. Had to go on the wagon to kick the smokes.
tommyboy on January 10, 2012 at 8:33 PM
Worked famously for me. Coming up on ten years.
guido911 on January 10, 2012 at 8:34 PM
This survey brought to you by the Professional Counseling Association of America.
Fletch54 on January 10, 2012 at 8:35 PM
Little over a year and a half for me thanks to the patch that doesn’t work.
This study is done wrong, once you get past a couple weeks, and have technically quit, whether you used the patch or not doesn’t matter. Using the patch is really just to help you get through that first week.
Good job Harvard. Morons.
bictech on January 10, 2012 at 8:42 PM
Not really. Here’s what the article says works…
…all of which of course require some kind of government action to happen.
Typhoon on January 10, 2012 at 8:43 PM
That is so true. And always remember – even when you’re no longer fighting the urge every minute to light up – nicotine addiction is forever, so must be your resolve.
Knott Buyinit on January 10, 2012 at 8:47 PM
I quit cold turkey in 1974. Cravings went away in about 13 years. Don’t even think about them anymore.
Oldnuke on January 10, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Mine went away in two years…though I was a pretty moderate when I had the habit.
Pablo Honey on January 10, 2012 at 8:53 PM
Worked for me. (The gum.)
In cases like this, you gotta ask yourself: What are they trying to take away from us now, and why?
Alana on January 10, 2012 at 8:54 PM
This means that it DID work for two thirds of the quitters! AA has a far higher relapse rate than that. The point is patches or AA or whatever works for some people and not others. Saying they “don’t work” is absurd.
libertytexan on January 10, 2012 at 9:02 PM
I used patches ten years ago to quit. On the fourth day I reasoned that everything was going so well, I would just put the patch in my pocket, and if I needed it later, I could put it on my arm. Twenty minutes later by the time I arrived at work, I was completely insane. I put the patch on and ten plus years later, all is fine.
phxconservative on January 10, 2012 at 9:04 PM
The thing I have to watch myself for about being tempted to light up again isn’t cigarettes, it’s cigars. Cigarettes were an addiction; cigars were a treat. I know if I treated myself to a good cigar the nicotine addiction would kick back in and drag me under.
backwoods conservative on January 10, 2012 at 9:05 PM
I think you missed the next line:
Ronnie on January 10, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Whatever. They worked for me.
Buy Danish on January 10, 2012 at 9:17 PM
The Swedish have found that by adopting a “harm reduction” strategy of steering smokers to snus, they have significantly reduced adverse health impacts. No such luck in the U.S., where the public health nanny staters categorically classify all forms of tobacco use to be equally evil.
Mr Galt on January 10, 2012 at 9:27 PM
They’re missing something important: the choice to stop.
Nicotine replacement therapy makes it easier for people to make that choice. If it increases the number of quitters, and if two thirds of that increase is permanent, then it’s still a win.
Steven Den Beste on January 10, 2012 at 9:37 PM
Worked for me. It’s been fourteen years. Cold turkey never did a thing for me. I was at the 7-11 by 2 a.m. every time I tried it.
Of course, I did have to quit about 50 times before it finally stuck.
I made a deal with my cousin. If he’d go on a diet, I’d quit smoking. I gave my word. Can’t break my word, so I finally managed to kick the habit.
He’s still fat.
Meryl Yourish on January 10, 2012 at 9:57 PM
BS. Worked for me just 5 weeks ago. And five years before that. And three years before that…
But, seriously…they DO work. Each time I’ve gone back to smoking has been after a year or more of being off cigarettes, thinking I could have just the one or two “social” smokes while out with the boys. As long as I remind myself I can’t be even a casual smoker, I’m good.
flipflop on January 10, 2012 at 10:10 PM
My wife kept nagging me until I quit. I figured if I quit she’d stop nagging me. So far that isn’t working out so well. But at least I don’t smoke.
jhffmn on January 10, 2012 at 10:16 PM
Squaresmoke.com E-cigarettes that contain two packs of nicotine and cost $7/per. Pack a day smoker for seven years. Tried Chantix, patches, gum, other e-cigarettes, and cold turkey. Square smokes allow you quit without feeling like you quit. Disposable one-piece cigarette, no assembly or kit.
I mention Squares only because they really can make a difference. Sorry for the product promotion.
Ala Pundit on January 10, 2012 at 10:22 PM
I saw the tail end of a news story today that seemed to be saying that seniors who wore nicotine patches had a 40% improvement in their memory but then went on to say not to smoke or use nicotine patches. Why do the story? If they knew how often I forget what I’m looking for they wouldn’t report stuff like that.
Cindy Munford on January 10, 2012 at 10:27 PM
I tried the gum and it didn’t pacify me.
I’ve been trying some disposable eCigs and while they help me cut down on actual cigarettes they haven’t been anywhere close enough to the real thing to take their place completely. Still find myself smoking at least a half-pack a day no matter what I do.
JoeinTX on January 10, 2012 at 10:32 PM
I smoked for over 30 years and quit 13 years ago. I was smoking 3 packs a day when I quit. I don’t think I could have done it without the Nicoderm patch. It took the edge off the cravings during the first few weeks and helped me to resist the urge to light up until I could overcome the addiction.
The study is right that patches, gum, etc won’t help you quit long term. That isn’t what they’re for. Their purpose is to help you get through the shock of stopping the use of the drug you’re addicted to.
If you quit for for whatever reason but you still want to smoke you will start up again eventually. No temporary crutch can overcome that. To stop permanently you have to quit because, deep down inside yourself, you don’t want to smoke anymore.
single stack on January 10, 2012 at 10:32 PM
Those gimmicks didn’t work for me either. What worked?
- admit it’s a problem that needs solving
- be stubbornly certain of wanting to quit
- stop cold turkey
- abandon people with habits you don’t want.
It’s not easy, but the payoff is huge.
The side effects of not poisoning yourself are worth the effort.
Kenosha Kid on January 10, 2012 at 11:09 PM
This study is a trojan horse.
It is about the banning of e-cigarettes.
If you can prove that nicotine replacement therapy doesn’t work than e-cigarettes also don’t work.
E-cigarettes stop smoking dead in it’s tracks, they, and nicotine patches stop the craving but allow the nicotine addict to continue getting his hit.
Nicotine is a proven appetite suppressant and concentration aid. Not accompanied with smoke there are no harmful effects. It is cheap and available. It is also addictive.
This is not about banning smoking it is about banning nicotine. A mild and pleasant stimulant.
The move to ban e-cigarettes is very much a nanny state movement, the suspicion that someone, somewhere is enjoying themselves.
Don’t believe this report is about banning nicotine?
E-cigarettes, the most effective anti-smoking treatment available, were just made illegal in Canada.
bongo on January 10, 2012 at 11:12 PM