Nicotine-Cessation Aids Questioned in Study

[Thulium]

Dr. Polito makes some reasonable arguments, but his major shortcoming, like so many, is failing to recognize the difference between smoking cessation and nicotine cessation. NRT's fail to achieve long term smoking cessation because they require medium-term nicotine cessation. By failing to differentiate between smoking cessation and nicotine cessation, Dr Polito implies that a failure to eliminate a nicotine dependence is a failure to to quit smoking--which would only be true if the therapy is at least as dangerous as continued smoking (which might be the case with some non-nicotine psychoactive smoking cessation drugs). Otherwise, continued use of smoke-free nicotine from off-label use of OTC NRT or by switching to smoke-free alternatives has not been associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of any smoking-related disease over persons who quit nicotine entirely.

 

[rothenbj]

One thing I'd agree with John P about is that the more quit attempts you make, the less likely the next one is to succeed. I feel I have the credentials to make that statement based on my two dozen +/- attempts over the years. Oh, before I go too far, JP's preferred vocation was unsuccessful for me at least 5 times, cold turkey sucked. When my last two attempts, Zyban for 3 months and hypnosis for less than 2 weeks were unsuccessful, I retired from quitting.

Three days from now I shall celebrate 2 years without a drag on a smoke, thank you SmokefreE-cigarettes and Swedish snus. Oh, this wasn't even a quit attempt, it just happened.

 

[Turnip]

One thing I'd agree with John P about is that the more quit attempts you make, the less likely the next one is to succeed. I feel I have the credentials to make that statement based on my two dozen +/- attempts over the years. Oh, before I go too far, JP's preferred vocation was unsuccessful for me at least 5 times, cold turkey sucked. When my last two attempts, Zyban for 3 months and hypnosis for less than 2 weeks were unsuccessful, I retired from quitting.

Three days from now I shall celebrate 2 years without a drag on a smoke, thank you SmokefreE-cigarettes and Swedish snus. Oh, this wasn't even a quit attempt, it just happened.

You are so right rothenbj. My experience as well.
No one ever takes into account the emotional devastation after yet another x100 failure, especially when society is encouraged to treat smokers worse than lepers,
I think it's not too much to expect that our Medical professionals would have seen through the junk science put out by the antis by now-but if they have theyre keeping mum about what they really think. Instead they indulge in a constant harangue regarding the patients smoking habits and leave no doubt about whose fault it is that theyre sick (the patient's) -
This releases the Dr from the hassle of thinking about what other factors might be the real cause of the illness- if you dont find NRT's get you off the smokes you arent serious is the cry!
So the poor patient creeps away now realising that there is no help out there for him.
I think the worst aspect of the anti nicotine/smoking hysteria is that it has provided an excuse to stop looking for a real cause of many illnesses . Everything from pimples to cancer to miscarriages is shoved into the great grab bag of "do you smoke" nowadays, also its giving non smokers the impression that smoking is the root cause of all illness, how silly.
I have been vaping for a year now and have not smoked and have cut my nic down to almost zero, without even trying thanks to the miraculous e cig- no thanks to NRTs Big Pharma, or their poisenous drugs,
I know where they can stick their patches inhalers and pills.
Thanks for absolutely nothing Big Pharma, we all found a better way.
(sorry for the rant, but that feels better)