Was the Expansion of the Marketing License for Nicotine Replacement Therapy in the United Kingdom to Include Smoking Reduction Associated With Changes in Use and Incidence of Quit Attempts?
Open Access
- 10 April 2013
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- Vol. 15 (10), 1777-1781
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntt044
Abstract
Background: In December 2009 and January 2010, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency expanded the marketing license for a number of nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) to include smoking reduction without an intention to stop completely. This study examined whether this was associated with a change in incidence of use of NRT for harm reduction (i.e., smoking reduction and/or temporary abstinence) and in smoking cessation activity. Methods: Data were taken from 10,497 smokers who took part in the Smoking Toolkit Study, which involves monthly representative household surveys of adults aged 16+ in England. Incidence of use of NRT for smoking reduction and/or temporary abstinence and attempts to stop smoking in 2009 was compared with the 2 years following the expansion of the marketing license. Results: Expansion of the license was not associated with an increase in incidence of NRT use for harm reduction, which was already substantial prior to the change. The odds of a quit attempt were lower in the second year following the license change relative to the year before, but there was no change in the success of quit attempts. Conclusions: Expansion of the UK marketing license for NRT to include smoking reduction without the intention of quitting was not associated with an increase in use of NRT for this purpose. It was followed by a reduction in the incidence of quit attempts (but not their success) although this may have been a continuation of a pre-existing decline.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Reduction and Temporary Abstinence: An Interview StudyNicotine & Tobacco Research, 2012
- 'The smoking toolkit study': a national study of smoking and smoking cessation in EnglandBMC Public Health, 2011
- Failure to report attempts to quit smokingAddictive Behaviors, 2010
- The impact of changing nicotine replacement therapy licensing laws in the United Kingdom: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country SurveyAddiction, 2009
- Effectiveness and safety of nicotine replacement therapy assisted reduction to stop smoking: systematic review and meta-analysisBMJ, 2009
- Do behavioral smoking reduction approaches reach more or different smokers? Two studies; similar answersAddictive Behaviors, 2006
- Impact of UK policy initiatives on use of medicines to aid smoking cessationTobacco Control, 2005
- Impact of smokeless tobacco use on smoking in northern SwedenJournal of Internal Medicine, 2002
- Controlled smoking versus abstinence as a treatment goal: The hopes and fears may be unfoundedBehavior Therapy, 1990