KICKING THE HABIT AMONG MENTALLY ILL

Image of Dr.AchtyesA new study, co-authored by Eric Achtyes, MD, shows that people with serious mental illness have better luck quitting smoking and avoiding relapse through extended treatments using varenicline, a smoking cessation drug, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Even though smoking has declined by 55 percent among U.S. adults since 1965, tobacco use among those with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder has risen. Six million of the 11.4 million adults afflicted with mental disorders smoke cigarettes – about twice that of adults without mental illnesses.

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