The focus of this seminar is on prescription smoking cessation pharmacotherapies, which include nicotine replacement therapy patches, varenicline and bupropion.

Dr Alys Havard presents data on the number of Australian women who use these medicines during pregnancy, and their findings regarding the risk of adverse birth outcomes associated with the use of each of these medicines during pregnancy.

She will also show how nicotine replacement therapy patches and varenicline compare in terms of effectiveness when used during pregnancy. We addressed these research questions using linked...

This presentation explored some of the alternative treatments for smoking cessation.

In 2005 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence commissioned a review of Non-NHS treatments for smoking cessation. This included the use of cytisine, rapid smoking, Allen Carr’s Easyway to quit smoking, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, Nicobloc and Nicobrevin. Over 15 years later, has the evidence changed? This presentation summarises the current data on some of these alternative treatments.

The American University of Beirut (AUB), with an affiliated tertiary medical center, developed one of the first smoking-cessation programs in the country in 2015 in response to an identified need within the university community. The program offers counseling to promote learning behavior modification and provides nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), including nicotine gum and patch.

A detailed description of the methods, results and conclusion of the program implementation is explained in the report. 

Tobacco use amongst the youth is a growing prevalent issue, with traditional tobacco products, such as the narguileh, being the main culprit. One survey indicated that the rise in tobacco use, through narguileh smoking amongst teenagers is increasing, due to its widespread acceptance within families and in society. This phenomenon is more prevalent in Lebanon, than other countries in the Middle East.