Nicotine replacement therapy not effective, says US study
Gums, patches and nasal sprays that supply smokers with nicotine do not help people quit cigarettes over the long term any better than going it alone, according to a new study by Harvard University in the US.
Of the 787 adults who had recently quit smoking, they found that just as many relapsed after nicotine replacement therapy as those who went without.
Heavily dependent smokers who took NRT without professional therapy were twice as likely to relapse as those who did not use NRT.
The nicotine replacement therapy industry is worth about $800bn (€628.14bn) a year.
