According to a recent study, those attempting to give up smoking may find that a cheap plant-based medication works better than nicotine replacement treatment.
Many nations, including the US, do not have access to it; however, the UK just received regulatory permission, and as of January 22, it will be available via prescription.
But what is cytisine? Here's what we know.
What is cytisine?
Researchers found that cytisine pills, a non-nicotine medication, were more than twice as effective as a placebo in helping people stop smoking, based on an Argentine study.
Who is eligible for it?
It is eligible for those who want to quit smoking.
What does the study say?
Published in the journal Addiction, the study demonstrates that cytisine, a medication used for decades primarily in Eastern Europe, "increases the chances of successful smoking cessation by more than two-fold compared with placebo" and has "no evidence of serious safety concerns".
Researchers evaluated the effects of cytisine with placebo by compiling data from eight randomised controlled studies that included close to 6,000 smokers.
Omar De Santi, lead author of the study, said: "Our study adds to the evidence that cytisine is an effective and inexpensive stop-smoking aid. It could be very useful in reducing smoking in [low- and middle-income] countries where cost-effective smoking cessation drugs are urgently needed."
Two randomised controlled trials comparing cytisine with nicotine replacement treatment were also examined in the study, and the results showed "modest results" in favour of cytisine.
Additionally, cytisine was compared in three studies to varenicline, which was removed from use in the UK as a precaution due to an impurity discovered in the medication; nonetheless, the results did not clearly favour cytisine.
Where is cytisine available in the UK?
Cytisine is marketed over-the-counter as Cravv, Tabex or Desmoxan in parts of Eastern and Central Europe.
Other ways to help yourself quit smoking this year
The NHS have written a list of tips to get you to quit smoking in the new year.
- If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked.
- List your reasons to quit.
- Tell people you're quitting.
- Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke.
- List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them.
- Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy.
- Exercise away the urge.
- Use 'stop smoking' aids.
