Harvard Study: Nicotine Gum Helps Smokers Quit

A combination of nicotine gum and behavior modification programs may prove the most effective therapy for smokers who want to quit, according to a study released yesterday by a Kennedy School research institute.

The 302-page study, published by the Institute for the Study of Smoking Behavior and Policy, explores the use of drug treatments for nicotine addiction and the policy implications of such therapies.

The report suggests that as physicians become more involved in smoking therapy, success rates may rise. In the past, inadequate supervision and counselling have undermined the efficacy of this type of treatment for smokers.

The study, entitled "The Pharmocologic Treatment of Tobacco Dependence: Proceedings of the World Congress," confirms that drug therapy can significantly improve the success of programs geared to helping smokers quit, said the Institute's Executive Director John M. Pinney.

Written in the context of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop's widely-publicized call for a smoke-free society by the year 2000, the report holds interest for researchers, pharamaceutical companies and policy makers, said Jan L. Hitchcock, a psychologist and associate director of the Institute.

"The report was prepared to be of interest to a broad audience, since we encourage consideration of policy implications," Hitchcock said. "We try to have people keep the big picture in mind and still be responsible scientifically."

"We must use what we learn to help develop health policies which can have a beneficial effect on the health of our nation," says the report's preface, which was written by Judith K. Ockene, a professor at the University of Massachussetts Medical School and editor of the report.

The study, which consists of papers and discussions from a November 1985 conference, examines the uses and problems of nicotine replacement--transferring dependency from cigarettes to nicotine gum or other drugs.

"We now realize that for many smokers, nicotine is an addictive substance, and smokers therefore benefit from the integration of pharmacology and behavioral treatment," Ockene writes in the report.

The report also concluded that nicotine gum is a cost effective way of combatting smoking addiction. CVS in Harvard Square sells Nicorette--nicotine gum available by prescription--for $18.98 a pack, which includes 96 chewing gum pieces. Hitchcock said that the maximum amount used each day is between 10 and 15 pieces.

However, nicotine gum, which has been available in the United States for three years, is not without side effects, Hitchcock said. "It's not a magic pill," she said, adding that doctors often fail to provide necessary guidance when they prescribe the nicotine gum.

Other pharmocological possibilities include a nasal spray and a trans-dermal patch, said Hitchcock, who added that these products will not reach the market in the near future.