Researchers test new way to qu...( and alone. There are several theo...),Health

There are several theories as to why early use of nicotine replacements might assist in breaking the cigarette habit, according to Dr Bullen.

"Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. It has been proposed that the stress a person undergoes when giving up cigarettes, coupled with the burden of remembering to use alternative methods of nicotine delivery, is too much too soon.

"If a person first becomes used to the patch or gum, it might make the transition to being smoke-free easier because a crucial part of their behaviour has already changed.

"Another theory is that the combination of cigarettes with an additional source of nicotine 'saturates' the brain nicotine receptors. Individuals might lose some of their desire for cigarettes before trying to completely give them up.

"These are largely untested ideas. The aim of our research is to discover if there is a measurable difference in quitting success rates between the two groups in our trial," said Dr Bullen.

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Contact: Bill Williams
wrs.williams@auckland.ac.nz
University of Auckland
15-Mar-2006