Seed that could aid quitters
Thursday September 29th, 2011
A nicotine substitute found in laburnum seeds could play a significant role in helping smokers' to quit, it was revealed last night.
British
and Polish researchers conducted what may be the first placebo-controlled
trial of cytisine pills.
Campaigners were celebrating the success of the trial, which suggested the substance could help wean smokers off nicotine addiction.
The research, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved some 740 smokers, who took cytisine or a dummy drug for 25 days. Researchers kept counselling support to a minimum.
After a year about 8.4 per cent of the cytisine users were non-smokers - compared with 2.4 per cent of those given fake pills.
The research was conducted in Warsaw, Poland, at University College London, UK, and at Birmingham University, UK.
Cytisine, marketed as Tabex, is poisonous in large doses but has been used in parts of eastern Europe for 40 years.
Doireann Maddock, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "We need some bigger trials first but this pill may yet offer a low cost treatment to help people break this harmful habit.
“In the meantime, those looking to quit smoking should speak to their GP about the huge range of proven services that are out there to help.”
She added: "If you want to live a longer and healthier life, stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can do. However, even though it is a major risk factor for heart disease, it can be a challenging habit to break."
Tags: Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Europe | Pharmaceuticals | UK News
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