A Statement from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare on Study Published in the Journal Tobacco Control

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study published in the journal Tobacco Control reported on medical interventions for smoking cessation, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare understands successfully quitting smoking requires breaking the body's addiction to nicotine and we will continually work to help every smoker quit smoking by providing safe and effective cessation products and support.

Hundreds of clinical trials involving more than 35,000 participants and extensive consumer use for more than 20 years have proven both the efficacy and safety of NRT when used as directed.(1) NRT products have helped millions of smokers quit by gradually weaning them off of their tobacco addiction and is recommended as a first-line therapy for quitting.(2)

Despite the authors' conclusions, there remains strong support for NRT's efficacy and its positive impact on public health. Leading experts in the field of smoking control, non-governmental bodies, such as the World Health organization (WHO) and many governments around the world, agree that NRT products have a crucial role to play in helping to reduce the devastating toll of disease caused by tobacco dependence.(3) Additionally, the 2008 U.S. Public Health Service Guideline, "Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence," recommends NRT products as a first-line therapy for quitting,(4) as they "increase significantly rates of long-term smoking abstinence."(4)

Further, the study pointed out, about 70 percent of smokers want to quit at any given time(5); yet when smokers avoid using medication by going "cold turkey," about 97 percent of all unaided attempts fail within six months.(6) Numerous studies show smokers who use NRT products per the dosing recommendations, combined with support, can double their chances of successfully quitting over "cold turkey."(4)

When it comes to smoking cessation, there is no 'magic pill'. Quitting smoking requires a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral support.

(1) Stead LF, Perera R, Bullen C, Mant D, Lancaster T. Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000146. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000146.pub3.
(2) GSK data on file.
(3) World Bank.  Curbing the epidemic: governments and the economics of tobacco control, 1999; www.worldbank.org/tobacco/reports.htm.
(4) Fiore MC, Jaen CR, Baker TB, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. May 2008.
(5) Alpert, HR. A prospective cohort study challenging the effectiveness of population-based medical intervention for smoking cessation. 2011 Tobacco Control.
(6) Hughes JR, Keely J, Naud S. Shape of the relapse curve and long-term abstinence among untreated smokers. 2004 Addiction, 99, 29-38.

SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare