Within minutes of waking up this morning I thought my days of helping people to stop smoking were over. On the radio were reports of a pill that the "medical profession" were raving about, a pill that could help people stop smoking. Wow, I thought. Whilst eating my weetabix and watching GMTV I heard that this new drug, Champix, had been approved by NICE (I didn't know either, but apparently it is the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) and would soon be available for the Primary Health Care Trusts to offer to those wishing to stop smoking. Phewee! And then I nearly choked on my weetabix as the story unfolded.

44% of smokers had quit at the end of a twelve week course. 12 weeks! And then the bombshell that Hilary Jones let slip but has not been as widely reported elsewhere, 20% were still non-smokers at the end of a year! That means an 80% failure rate!!!!! If I misheard and that 20% was part of the 44% that had quit after the 12 weeks, then that is even worse, that would be a failure rate of over 90%.

At its best, 4 out of every 5 smokers that use Champix will still be smoking in a years time. The cost of the 12 week course is around £165. What a joke, £165 x 5 = £825. So in reality it will cost the taxpayer, £825 for every person who stops smoking using Champix assuming the one in five success rate.

Oh, by the way, the advice is not to operate machinery or drive whilst taking this drug, and don't forget that is for 12 weeks. And if you delve deeper, your Doctor will probably prescribe you another 12 week course after the first one, just to make sure you stop smoking. 24 weeks of taking two tablets a day, nearly half a year! The guidelines state:

*** This medicine might make you feel dizzy or sleepy and so could impair your ability to perform potentially hazardous tasks such as driving or operating machinery. You should avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and are sure that it won’t affect your ability to perform such activities safely.

*** Some people may find that when they stop taking this medicine their urge to smoke returns. They may also feel irritable, depressed or have difficulty sleeping. To avoid this, your doctor may consider reducing your dose slowly when you finish treatment with this medicine, rather than stopping it abruptly. Discuss this with your doctor.