A new review led by researchers from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford highlights three top strategies for quitting smoking.
The review, published in the journal Addiction, summarised findings from fourteen Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Reviews of 157,179 participants across 319 studies. Dr Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, lead author of the review, and his colleagues identified three top strategies for quitting smoking:
- Nicotine e-cigarettes
- Varenicline (a prescription medication sold under brand names like Chantix and Champix)
- Cytisine (a plant-based compound available by prescription in the UK and over-the-counter in some countries).
These methods are most effective when combined with behavioural support, such as counselling.
Dr Livingstone-Banks, lead author of the review, said,
"Quitting smoking is challenging, but tobacco is uniquely deadly among legal consumer products. It's crucial to seek help when trying to quit. There's a range of effective support available, and our research shows that cytisine, varenicline and e-cigarettes are all evidence-based ways to significantly increase people's chances of successfully quitting smoking."
The review also highlighted strong evidence for the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), especially when patches are combined with fast-acting forms like gum or lozenges. Bupropion, another prescription medication, was also found to be effective.
Key findings from the study include:
- High-certainty evidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine increase quit rates compared to NRT and non-nicotine e-cigarettes
- Combination NRT (using patches with gum or lozenges) is more effective than single-form NRT
- Behavioural counselling and financial incentives can be effective even without additional medication.
This review summarises the latest work by the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, building on almost 30 years of systematic reviews providing high-quality evidence to inform smoking cessation strategies.
The research team emphasises that while these methods are effective, quitting smoking remains difficult for many people. They encourage smokers to seek support and try different methods if needed, as what works best can vary from person to person.
For support with stopping smoking visit: www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking