Madison life - health-tips - Health news: Want to quit smoking? Read this first

If your New Year resolution is to quit smoking, then you’ll be interested in the findings of a Harvard study that suggests nicotine gum and patches do little to help efforts to curb the habit. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and University of Massachusetts Boston followed 787 adult smokers who had recently quit. The study, which has been published in the online edition of Tobacco Control, counters clinical trials that prove Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to be effective, showing that will power is an equally successful tool.

Research scientist Hillel Alpert and co-author Lois Biener studied participants at three intervals from 2001 to 2006. Each participant was asked whether they had used nicotine replacement therapy such as a patch, inhaler, nasal spray or gum, and the duration they had used this product. They were also asked if they had joined a support group such as a quit-smoking program or had the help of a professional like a counsellor.

The study demonstrated that, for each time period, about one-third of participants had relapsed. There was no correlation between those who used nicotine replacement therapy and those who relied purely on will power.

“This study shows that using NRT is no more effective in helping people stop smoking cigarettes in the long term than trying to quit on one’s own,” Hillel Alert told the Harvard Gazette.

So if you’re trying to kick the habit, it might be worth keeping your money in your pocket and your mind steadfast on the task at hand. Nevertheless, if you’d prefer the feeling of support that comes from nicotine gum or patches, there’s little harm if they help you stay on track to improve your health.

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