subject: Vows to Quit Smoking Top the 2010 Resolutions List [print this page] Author: Katie Kelley Author: Katie Kelley
Whether the resolve is to lose weight, eat better, develop stress and financial management skills or quit smoking, millions of Americans vow to make life changes with each New Year.Tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable disease and death in United States, effecting close to 46 million Americans. Furthermore, the health and financial benefits have prompted more than 49 percent of adults who have ever smoked since 1965 to quit smoking, according to the American Heart Association. For those who have resolved to quit smoking in 2010, these statistics are encouraging.However, an estimated 75 percent of people will break a resolution in the first several months of the year. Coupled with studies that show that smokers who quit cold turkey have a decreased success rate compared to those who quit smoking with the help of smoking cessation medication, many individuals have sought help from their doctor to quit smoking.Many physicians prescribe varenicline, better known as Chantix or bupropion, marketed as Zyban because the smoking cessation drugs help reduce the urge to smoke and withdrawal symptoms. In lieu of nicotine replacement therapies, Chantix and Zyban are commonly prescribed. Chantix, the most popular of the medications, made $846 million in 2008.However, the help of medication may not be worth the risks. The side effects of Chantix have included depression, psychiatric complications, mood swings and, in some cases, suicide. More than 100 suicides have been linked to the medication, although there may be more suicides that occurred as a side effect of Chantix that have not been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This has prompted many family members of Chantix patients to seek a Chantix lawyer to develop an often time consuming Chantix lawsuit to receive monetary compensation.In July 1, 2009, the FDA required that Chantix and Zyban carry a black box warning notifying patients of potential suicide risk and other emotional side effects including depression and abnormal behavior. The FDA issues black box warnings as the final precaution to patients before a recall is deemed necessary. Many patients continue to take their prescribed smoking cessation medication despite the risks.Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix has maintained that the deaths and side effects are a result of nicotine withdrawal, although patients who continued to smoke while taking the medication demonstrated unusual or irrational behavior. The FDA will continue to evaluate the safety of Chantix. About the Author:
