Table 1—

Efficacy of smoking cessation treatments

Treatment type	Standard dose and duration	Quit rate^# (range) %	6–12 months follow-up OR (95% CI)	Reference
Placebo		12.6 (0–46)	1.00^¶	9–16
Behavioural counselling
Individual therapy	Weekly sessions of 10–60 min for 2–16 weeks	15.3 (0–43)	1.65 (1.35–2.01)⁺	9
Group therapy	1–3 sessions·week⁻¹ of 45 min–2 h for 2–14 weeks	15.1 (0–38)	2.17 (1.37–3.45)^§	10
Anti-depressant therapy
Bupropion	150 mg·day⁻¹ for 3 days plus 300 mg·day⁻¹ for 7–12 weeks	20.2 (3–43)	1.94 (1.72–2.19)^ƒ	11
Nortriptyline	75–100 mg·day⁻¹ for 10–12 weeks	22.6 (9–31)	2.34 (1.61–3.41)^ƒ	11
SSRIs	Dependent on type of SSRI used	15.1 (10–27)	0.90 (0.69–1.18)^ƒ	11
Venlafaxine	225 mg·day⁻¹ for 8 weeks	23.0	1.29 (0.58–2.88)^ƒ	11
Nicotine replacement therapy
Gum	2–4 mg (10–15 doses·day⁻¹ recommended) for 1–4 months	23.7 (3–60)	1.66 (1.52–1.81)^ƒ	12
Transdermal patch	21 mg for 4–6 weeks plus 14 mg for 2 weeks then 7 mg for 2 weeks	15.8 (7–38)	1.84 (1.65–2.06)^ƒ	12
Inhaler/inhalator	6–16 cartridges·day⁻¹ for 12 weeks (4 mg)	20.2 (11–28)	2.14 (1.44–3.18)^ƒ	12
Spray	8–40 doses·day⁻¹ (0.5 mg·nostril⁻¹) for 8 weeks	24.5 (18–27)	2.35 (1.63–3.38)^ƒ	12
Tablets/lozenges	9 lozenges·day⁻¹ for 6 weeks plus 6-week tapering	17.1 (12–23)	2.05 (1.62–2.59)^ƒ	12
Nicotine receptor partial agonists
Varenicline	0.5–1 mg 1–2 doses·day⁻¹ for 6–12 weeks	21.8 (14–23)	3.22 (2.43–4.27)^ƒ	13
Cytisine	1.5 mg tabsdays 1–3: 6 tabs·day⁻¹;days 4–12: 5 tabs·day⁻¹;days 13–16: 4 tabs·day⁻¹;days 17–20: 3 tabs·day⁻¹	21.0	1.77 (1.30–2.40)^ƒ,##	13
Opioid antagonists
Naltrexone	25–100 mg·day⁻¹ for 4–12 weeks	17.0 (9–20)	1.34 (0.49–3.69)^ƒ	14
Naloxone	10 mg·day⁻¹ s.c.;0.1–1.6 mg i.v.			14
Buprenorphine	4-8 mg·day⁻¹ with ascending dosage for 10–14 days			14
Other therapies
Clonidine (antihypertensive)	Oral 150–750 μg·day⁻¹ for 4–10 weeks;transdermal 0.1–0.3 μg·day⁻¹ for 6–12 weeks	28.4 (14–57)	1.89 (1.30–2.74)^ƒ	15
Acupuncture	4–20 sessions for 2–4 weeks;indwelling needle for 1–4 weeks	18.2 (6–40)	0.99 (0.68–1.44)^ƒ	16
Laser therapy	12 sessions for 4 weeks	18.0	0.99 (0.56–1.75)^ƒ	16
Electrostimulation	5–8 sessions of 20–60 min for 1–3 weeks	35.2 (27–40)	1.23 (0.72–2.09)^ƒ,¶¶	16

OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence ratio; SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; tabs: tablets. ^#: weighted mean 9–16; ^¶: reference; ⁺: versus “minimal contact” control; ^§: versus “no intervention”; ^ƒ: versus placebo; ^##: 2-yr follow-up; ^¶¶: 6-month follow-up.