Zyban for smoking cessation in a general practice setting: the response to an invitation to make a quit attempt

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and success of Zyban as part of a moderately supported smoking cessation programme within UK general practice. Treatment was offered to 479 moderately dependent smokers ( smoking 15 or more cigarettes per day) who had never used Zyban, and who had taken part in a previous NRT trial ( the PATCH study). Main outcome measures were point prevalence and continuous abstinence from smoking at 6 and at 12 months. Two hundred and forty were excluded because of medical reasons or prescribing contraindication. Of the remainder (n = 239) only 54 (23%) made an active quit attempt. Thirty percent (16/54) were abstinent at six months, and 22% (12/54) at 12 months ( biochemically validated point prevalence rates). Age, socio-economic status, nicotine dependence, and genetic pro. le appeared to have little impact on success rates, but male quit-attempters were significantly more successful than female ( 40% vs. 10% at 12 months, p<0.05). In conclusion, a real-world smoking cessation programme using Zyban with moderate support within a general practice setting may achieve satisfactory quit rates without widening existing disparities in cessation.