Chunk #26 — 3. Results — 3.4 Association of Suicide and the Use of Smoking Cessation Medications — 3.4.2. Epidemiological/Clinical Data — 3.4.2.1. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
Proven NRTs are nicotine gum, inhaler, lozenge, microtab, nasal spray and patch (Fiore et al. 2008; Silagy et al. 2004). Over 20,000 smokers have been exposed to full nicotine agonists via nicotine replacement therapy in published trials (Silagy et al. 2004). Meta-analyses and reviews of adverse events (AEs) from full nicotine agonists do not report increased suicide nor worsened mood as plausible AEs from nicotine replacement (Silagy et al. 2004; Greenland et al. 1998; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2007). The best test of the association of use of nicotine replacement and suicide comes from an analysis from the Lung Health Study, which randomly assigned smokers to nicotine gum or no medication (Leistikow & Shipley 1999; Anthonisen et al. 1994). Over the 5 yrs of the study, the incidence of suicides was not greater in the nicotine gum vs control group. If anything, suicides appeared to be less common with gum; i.e., 2/3923 or 0.05% in the nicotine gum group vs 5/1964 or 0.25% in the control group (Anthonisen et al. 1994; Leistikow & Shipley 1999). The only
