A Statement from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare on 2008 Update to the U.S. Public Health Service Guideline on Treating Tobacco Use and ...( PARSIPPANY N.J. May 7 /- GlaxoSmi...),Health

PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, marketer of the leading smoking cessation products including Nicorette(R) gum, NicoDerm(R) CQ(R) patch, and Commit(R) lozenge, applauds the release of the updated 2008 U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Guideline on Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Too many smokers lower their chances of quitting by relying on cold turkey approaches to become tobacco-free. The Guideline is an important validation of the need for clinicians to recommend the use of effective tobacco dependence counseling and medication. The Guideline reflects considerable progress in tobacco cessation research over the past decade to help identify the most effective strategies at reducing tobacco dependence.

We believe the 2008 update is of particular significance as it includes the addition of the Commit nicotine lozenge which can reliably increase long-term smoking abstinence. The Commit lozenge is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with quitting smoking, has a groundbreaking dosage selector (Time to First Cigarette) so a smoker can choose the strength that's right for them and provides low, safe doses of nicotine to ease withdrawal from cigarettes.

The updated Guideline reflects the distillation of thousands of research articles, and continues to recommend nicotine replacement products (NRT), such as Nicorette gum and NicoDerm CQ patch, as a first-line therapy for quitting, as they "increase significantly rates of long-term smoking abstinence."(1)

GlaxoSmithKline's NRT brands offer a step-down therapy to help smokers break their dependence on tobacco and safely wean off nicotine. Clinical trials have demonstrated that these brands double a smoker's chances of quitting versus placebo.(2) They are extensively proven to significantly reduce cravings and other withdrawal symptoms during quitting, allowing smokers to foc
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