Zyban has been shown to help people cease smoking, and has been long established. Zyban can help people feel alert and energetic and the fact that Australia even subsidizes it means it is an efficacious product.

Drug treatments address the biochemical aspects of smoking, and there are different stop smoking pills available on the market. In order to appreciate the success rate of these pills, we need to deduct the “natural” rate of smoking cessation (which is about 1.5–3% a year). Bearing this in mind, the rate of 15-20% quoted in different studies is significant in concluding the effectiveness of pills and medication in helping people quit smoking. (Hatziandreu, 1990). NRPs like nicotine patches, gum and inhalers which are discussed elsewhere. Below are the different non-nicotine anti-smoking pills found in pharmacies.

A study in Psychopharmacology on July 1 suggests that this vaccine may reduce the need and craving for nicotine. Mark LeSage, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, found that when rats trained to self-administer nicotine were then injected with a nicotine vaccine, they subsequently used less nicotine.

Chantix is designed specifically to target nicotine receptors in the brain and block nicotine from attaching to your brain by binding to the receptors themselves. Although Chantix does not contain nicotine, it still excites the receptors and generates up to 60% of the dopamine levels of nicotine. This quit smoking drug is similar to ‘nicotine replacement therapy’ (NRT) which in theory help smokers stop by providing an alternate source of nicotine but at a reduced amount.