E-cigarettes vs nicotine patches: are either adequate to support pregnant smokers?

ruvim-noga-pazM9TQJ2Ck-unsplash

In her debut blog, Tuba Saygın Avşar summarises a recent RCT, which finds that “E-cigarettes might help women who are pregnant to stop smoking, and their safety for use in pregnancy is similar to that of nicotine patches.”

[read the full story...]

Nicotine replacement therapy – oral side effects

For inpatients with psychiatric symptoms of moderate severity, the study suggests those using nicotine inhalers were most successful overall in their quit attempts. There were no severe adverse reactions to the NRTs.

This review of the evidence on possible association between locally delivered nicotine replacement therapy(NRT) and oral side effects included 28 RCTs. Most of the RCTs were at high risk of bias mainly because of allocation concealment concerns. Reported oral side effects including oral soreness, gastric reflux or vomiting, and mouth or throat irritation.

[read the full story...]

Tobacco cessation delivered by dental professionals

These are promising findings, but we are some way from being able to recommend specific interventions to help people stick with their smoking cessation medication.

This review of tobacco cessation interventions offered by dental professionals included 20 clinical trials. Advice and support form dental professionals that involved NRT or e-cigarettes was more likely to help patients stop smoking

[read the full story...]

Stopping smoking in acute mental health units: what works?

andres-siimon-ryBnRg4c3L0-unsplash

Zoe Stoneley reviews a Taiwanese study on nicotine replacement therapy and healthy lifestyle psychoeducation for smoking reduction in acute psychiatric inpatients.

[read the full story...]

Have the EAGLES landed? Safety of varenicline, bupropion and NRT in smokers with and without mental illnesses

photo-1457383457550-47a5cfdbab17

Paul Christiansen presents the results of the EAGLES RCT into the neuropsychiatric safety and efficacy of varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine patches in smokers with and without psychiatric disorders.

[read the full story...]

Can pharmacotherapy help smokers with severe mental disorders?

25470348902_cd8daa9fed_k

Andrew Jones reports on an ecological pragmatic clinical trial, which suggests that it is feasible to support smoking cessation in people with severe mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

[read the full story...]

Nicotine without smoke: new RCP report on e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction

24982617554_1a47da8ea4_k

Debutant blogger and vaping activist Lorien Jollye presents a new tobacco harm reduction report from the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians.

[read the full story...]

Nicotine patches, Varenicline and combination NRT: as good/bad as each other?

317445305_18467e7e55_o

Paul Christiansen considers the findings of a recent RCT, which evaluates the effects of nicotine patches versus varenicline versus combination nicotine replacement therapy on smoking cessation at 26 weeks.

[read the full story...]

Smoking and chronic mental illness: what’s the best way to quit or cut down?

14384551516_5b26ac18d0_k

Meg Fluharty considers the findings of a BMJ State of the Art review, which looks at the evidence for smoking cessation in people with chronic mental illness such as schizophrenia, unipolar depression, bipolar depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD.

[read the full story...]

Smokeless tobacco – do behavioural and pharmacological interventions help users quit?

shutterstock_32414035 - Betel leaf

Dominic Hurst looks at the recent Cochrane review of interventions to help smokeless tobacco (ST) users quit. ST use is linked to oral cancer, precancer and periodontal disease, so dentists have an important role in encouraging users to quit.

[read the full story...]