Pharmacology of smoking cessation

Smoking cessation is a complex process and not a simple event. Understanding the addicted smoker, the cues that cause a smoker to light up, the lifestyle, and the fallacies of each smoker are helpful information for the practising physician. Behavioural modification, aimed at eliminating cues to initiate smoking, and the systematic use of pharmacological replacement therapy can be an effective stop smoking strategy. New availability of transdermal nicotine replacement, appears particularly promising as a new strategy. Additional pharmacological agents to deal with nicotine withdrawal are worth trying. In any case, our advice to the practitioner who would like to get involved in smoking cessation is very straight forward. 1. Start somewhere; set up your own stop smoking clinic. 2. Be systematic. 3. Don't be easily discouraged. 4. Continue to follow your patients until they either quit smoking or quit coming to your office. 5. Keep abreast of new developments in smoking cessation strategies.