Many smokers will tell you that giving up cigarettes is not easy. That said, a recent study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research from the University of Otago, Wellington in New Zealand has found using a nicotine inhaler can help smokers quit.
Participants in the double-blind study were randomly placed in one of two groups — one group used both an active nicotine patch and a nicotine inhaler while the other group used an active nicotine patch and a placebo inhaler. Both groups were instructed to use the inhalers for six months.
One month after the study completed, 31.71 percent of the smokers who used a nicotine inhaler had quit smoking, compared to 17.97 percent in the group who used a placebo inhaler.
"Currently most smokers use nicotine patches to help them stop smoking. This study shows that if you add a nicotine inhaler to a nicotine patch, it doubles the chances of quitting over a nicotine patch alone," said co-author Julian Crane, MBBS.
More articles on smoking:
California bumps smoking age from 18 to 21
FDA announces new e-cigarette regulations: 6 things to know
Medicaid programs come up short in helping smokers quit, study finds