Smoking Cessation: Differnt strategies and their effectiveness:

Nicotine acts on the same receptors as Cocaine in the brain. Female smoking is on the rise. Male smoking is on the decline.

The different medicines available are as follows
1. Nicotine replacement: Great supplement and a relatively inexpensive alternative/adjunct. Success rate is 20%.
2. Bupropion: (Wellbutrin/Zyban - now available generically) The champion of them all, it has a near 50 % success rate as opposed to doing it yourself (cold turkey). Follow up counselling after cessation enhances the success rate.
3. Clonidine: Reduces flashes and mood swings. Recommended by the NIH
4. Nortryptiline: Reduces the urge to smoke. Recommended by NIH.
5, Counselling: Brief messages are best. Examples include As your physician, I must advise you to give up smoking.
6. Beware of touts of different types of shots/injections that call patients in and promise all kinds of success. Await data before endorsing them. It is your duty to discourage them if you feel it is a scam.