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“
A new quit smoking therapy combining a nicotine
replacement patch and gum will be a welcome boost for the nine out of
ten Australian smokers who are trying to quit, says Action on Smoking
and Health (ASH) Australia. The
new therapy (Nicorette Combined Solution) has been approved by the
Therapeutic Goods Administration following research showing it is 52%
more effective after six months than either patches or gum alone. Says
Anne Jones, ASH Chief Executive: “This is welcome news in the leadup
to World No Tobacco Day (May 31) for Australia’s three million
smokers – at a time when national smoking prevalence is stuck at
around 20%. “Much
more could be done to help smokers to quit and to avoid relapse. As
tobacco products are addictive, most smokers relapse between seven and
nine times, before finally kicking the addiction for good. “As
up to two thirds of quitters end up relapsing within a few days we
welcome new treatments that are safe and effective in helping smokers
get across the line. “Driving
smoking rates down is extremely cost effective and new treatments,
like combination therapy, have the potential to accelerate the decline
of smoking in Australia.” ASH
and other peak health groups are committed to reducing smoking
prevalence from around 20% to less than 10% before the end of the
decade. Says Anne Jones: “Its
very tough for smokers to quit and we owe it to them to ensure that in
every health care setting, smokers are assessed and offered support -
including a range of treatment options that offer the best chance of
quitting.” Smokers
can obtain more information from pharmacists and the quit line
on Comment: Media
info:
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Page last updated 30/5/06 |
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