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In previous studies, antidepressant drugs have had variable success for smoking cessation. This double-blind, randomized trial examined the effectiveness of sustained-release bupropion.
The 615 subjects received a seven-week course of either placebo or one of three doses of bupropion (100, 150, or 300 mg daily), and were asked to quit smoking after the first week. They had smoked a mean of 27 cigarettes per day and averaged four previous attempts at quitting. About 40% had already tried nicotine patches. None were currently depressed.
At seven weeks, the rates of smoking cessation in the three bupropion groups (29%, 39%, and 44%, respectively) were significantly higher than the rate with placebo (19%), as confirmed by expired carbon monoxide …