Psychedelics as a potential treatment for tobacco use disorder: a systematic review

Despite considerable efforts, tobacco use disorder persists as a significant public health issue. The effectiveness of current smoking cessation therapies is limited, leading to a growing interest in alternative treatment approaches such as psychedelics.

The aim of this review is to evaluate the scientific evidence regarding the role of psychedelics in smoking cessation.

To identify relevant literature on psychedelics and smoking cessation, a search was conducted in four academic literature databases PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase. Databases were searched from their inception up to March 24, 2024.

Out of the 1073 articles identified in databases, 8 publications (both clinical and non-clinical studies) met the inclusion criteria, of which a total of 4 publications originated from a single study. The majority of the studies focused on psilocybin (n = 7), for which supportive evidence was suggested for the treatment of tobacco use disorder. Additionally, research was conducted with other psychedelics for smoking cessation, such as ayahuasca, mescaline, peyote, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), lysergic acid amide (LSA) and (dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but the evidence base for these psychedelics is too small to draw definitive conclusions.

There is, although limited, evidence that psychedelics, in particular psilocybin, may offer a potential avenue for combating tobacco use disorder, though more research is needed to understand their effectiveness and safety fully.