A study, conducted by the researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health together with the colleagues from the University of Massachusetts, has proved that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is of little help if the smokers need to forget about their bad habit.
The scientists examined 787 adult smokers, who had been trying to give up their habit in different time periods, in 2001-2002, 2003-2004 and 2005-2006. At the same time they figured out whether the smokers used NRT in the form of nicotine patches, a chewing gum, an inhaler or a nasal spray. If they did, they asked them for how long, and if the attempts were fruitful.
It was found that almost a third of those, who had made an attempt to quit, would certainly come back to their habit, no matter how many cigarettes a day they smoked – one or two, or even the whole pack. And this is the same recurrence rate as if a person quitted smoking on his own or called the consultants for help.
The doctors appeal to the health care bodies to pay the most careful attention to this problem, and perhaps even begin to more strictly regulate the sale of chewing gums and patches containing a therapeutic dose of nicotine. For example, they could be sold only on prescription.
