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Study notes how key it is to use nicotine aids correctly

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Letters | SMOKING-CESSATION METHODS QUESTIONED

THIS STORY APPEARED IN

January 16, 2012

CIGARETTES CONTINUE to be the only lawful product sold that, even when used as intended, are still guaranteed to cause heart and blood vessel disease, cancer, severe lung disease, and compelling disability. The study cited in the article “Nicotine aids found not effective long term’’ (Metro, Jan. 10) suggests that nicotine replacement therapy may not be highly effective. However, the research may simply be pointing out how incorrectly these products are being used, and that to use them without professional support and guidance or with half-hearted effort or inadequate counseling and follow-up is, like anything else, a matter of getting out of it what you put into it.

We have been led to believe that we can do things 1 through 12 incorrectly or half-heartedly, and then take pill number 13 to make everything all better. Pill number 13 does not exist.

Before we move to curtail the use of smoking cessation aids because one study suggests that they are not very effective, we should redouble our efforts to educate the public, especially those prescribing such aids and those providing counseling for smoking cessation. Nicotine addiction is serious, and must be approached as such.

Dr. David A. Meyerson

Baltimore