A major new scientific review of evidence published in the journal Addiction has identified three top strategies for quitting smoking:
These work best when combined with behavioural support, such as counselling. Bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are also effective, especially NRT patches combined with fast acting forms like gum. There is strong evidence to support behavioural counselling and financial incentives for smoking cessation, even without additional medication.
The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG) has provided systematic reviews of the highest quality for almost 30 years. This summary outlines the key findings from the fourteen Cochrane reviews that CTAG published between 2021 and 2023. Three Cochrane reviews included in this summary are particularly noteworthy:
Lead author Dr Jonathan Livingstone-Banks says “Quitting smoking is difficult, and some people find it harder to quit than others, but tobacco is uniquely deadly among legal consumer products, so it’s important to seek help quitting. There’s a range of effective forms of support for smoking cessation, and cytisine, varenicline and e-cigarettes are all evidence-based ways to greatly increase people’s chances of successfully quitting smoking.”
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For editors:
This Open Access paper is available on the Wiley Online Library ( https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.16624 ) or you may request a copy from Jean O’Reilly, Editorial Manager, Addiction , jean@addictionjournal.org .
To speak with lead author Dr. Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, please contact him at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford by e-mail ( jonathan.livingstone-banks@phc.ox.ac.uk ).
Full citation for article: Livingstone-Banks J, Lindson N, and Hartmann-Boyce, J. Effects of interventions to combat tobacco addiction: Cochrane update of 2021 to 2023 reviews. Addiction . 2024. DOI: 10.1111/add.16624
Primary funding: None.
Declaration of interests: All authors are members of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group. Each has authored several of the reviews included in this summary. None has any conflicts of interest.
Addiction is a monthly international scientific journal publishing peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, substances, tobacco, gambling, editorials, and other debate pieces. Owned by the Society for the Study of Addiction, it has been in continuous publication since 1884.
Addiction
Systematic review
People
Effects of interventions to combat tobacco addiction: Cochrane update of 2021 to 2023 reviews
4-Sep-2024
All authors are members of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group. Each has authored several of the reviews included in this summary. None has any conflicts of interest.