Stage 5 - Defining the action plan

STAGE 5. Defining the action plan

What steps should be completed?

Step 1: Specify intervention actions

EVIDENCE ON PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT PROGRAMMES

NICOTINE

Nicotine replacement therapy (gum, transdermal patches, etc.) improves the rate of smoking cessation by preventing abstinence syndrome, which tends to encourage the continued use of tobacco, and thus helps people stop smoking.^1,2
Bupropion. Initially used as an antidepressant, helps stop smoking by limiting the concomitant weight gain.¹
Varenicline is a partial nicotine receptor agonist/antagonist. It reduces the compulsion to smoke and strengthens tobacco abstinence.¹ It seems more effective than bupropion in facilitating smoking cessation.³

Treatment for nicotine dependence should combine pharmacological and behavioural interventions, including individual and group therapies, because both operate with complementary mechanisms that may have cumulative effects.¹

References:

1 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2010). Principles of drug addiction treatment: a research-based guide. Washington: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

2 Stead LF, Perera R, Bullen et al. (2008). Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008. Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000146.

3 Pereiro C. (editor) et al. (2010). Manual de adicciones para médicos especialistas en formación [Addiction handbook for physician specialists in training]. Barcelona: Socidrogalcohol.

EVIDENCE ON PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT PROGRAMMES

Demos