A Little Quitting Help for Smokers

Smoking is a tough habit to kick, with 41% of smokers trying to quit ever year and only 10% of them actually succeeding. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just pop a pill and take away those unhealthy urges?

That may be a reality someday soon. Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that in a small double blind study a new drug – naltrexone, which blocks the effects of narcotics and has been used in the past to treat heroin addicts - used in conjunction with behavior therapy and nicotine patches helps stop women lighting up. The study found that the novel treatment combo increased success rates in women smokers by nearly 50%. The results will be published in the journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research this month.