![\"cigarette\"](\"http:\/\/images2.blisstree.com\/files\/2010\/02\/cigarette.jpg\")
Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult things many people ever do<\/strong>. Sure, we all hear of people who quit cold turkey on Monday and by Wednesday, they know they’ll never touch another cigarette again, but that’s not the norm. The tobacco companies have the smokers so hooked that millions and millions of dollars are spent on quit-smoking materials and programs. Most is wasted at the moment though, since it’s often said that it takes about 7 tries before a smoker really, seriously stops smoking.<\/p>\nA new study out of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine <\/strong>says that using a nicotine replacement patch for 24 days instead of the usual 8 days increases the chances of success significantly. The patch not only helps smokes quit, but it often helps smokers who fall back into their habits.<\/span><\/p>\n The study, which was published in the most recent issue of Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em><\/a>, looked at 568 adult smokers who smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day for at least the past year. The study subjects were randomly assigned to standard therapy with Nicoderm, 21 mg, for 8 weeks and placebo for 16 weeks or the extended therapy with Nicoderm CQ, 21 mg, for 24 weeks.<\/p>\n The researchers found that at the end of the 24-week study, the smokers who were in the extended Nicoderm group were about twice as likely to have been successful in their quitting smoking than those who received a placebo patch after the eighth week of the stud<\/p>\n The benefits also helped those who relapsed during the study and began smoking again.\u00a0 The smokers on extended therapy abstained from cigarettes for longer, and were more likely to stop smoking again even if they relapsed.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, this difference didn’t show up after one year. The researchers followed up with the study subjects after 52 weeks and there was no difference in those who continued to be non-smokers. Those who had the extended treatment showed a 14.5% non-smoking rate while the others a 14.3% rate.<\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Image: MorgueFile.com<\/p>\n Post from: Blisstree<\/a><\/p>\n