BMJ  2008;336:358 (16 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39479.427477.AD

Head to Head

Should doctors advocate snus and other nicotine replacements? Yes

¹ Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB

doi: 10.1136/bmj.39479.491319.AD

Use of snus is less harmful than smoking and John Britton thinks that doctors should suggest it to people who are unable to give up cigarettes. But Alexander Macara argues that it could result in increased use of tobacco

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Smoking is the biggest avoidable cause of death and disability,¹ and of social inequalities in health,² in the United Kingdom. Smoking currently kills over 100 000 UK citizens each year,³ predominantly from lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Half of all lifelong smokers die from smoking, typically losing 10 years of life.⁴ Non-smokers are victims too. Although smoking is prohibited in public and workplaces throughout the UK, smoking in the home remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality through passive exposure, especially in young children.⁵ Stopping smoking reverses or prevents progression of these problems.

Currently, 77% of UK smokers want to give up smoking, and 78% have tried and failed.⁶ Of the many reasons why they have not succeeded in quitting, the most important is addiction to nicotine. Cigarettes deliver nicotine to the brain rapidly, and in high doses, achieving arterial concentrations around five to six . . . [Full text of this article]

Safer choices

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Should doctors advocate snus and other nicotine replacements? No

Alexander W Macara
BMJ 2008 336: 359. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years' observations on male British doctors

Richard Doll, Richard Peto, Jillian Boreham, and Isabelle Sutherland
BMJ 2004 328: 1519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Wiium, N., Aaro, L. E., Hetland, J. (2008). Subjective attractiveness and perceived trendiness in smoking and snus use: a study among young Norwegians. Health Educ Res 0: cyn047v1-cyn047 [Abstract] [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Unbelievable advocacy of a known carcinogen

Trevor Watts
bmj.com, 15 Feb 2008 [Full text]

NO to Smokeless, Spitless Tobacco - SNUS - It's the KIDS..

Samuel Garten, et al.
bmj.com, 19 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Re: NO to Smokeless, Spitless Tobacco - SNUS - It's the KIDS..

GEORGE Y CALDWELL
bmj.com, 20 Feb 2008 [Full text]

The need for tobacco product regulation

Coral E Gartner
bmj.com, 20 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Before surrender teach cessation

John R. Polito
bmj.com, 21 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Re: Re: NO to Smokeless, Spitless Tobacco - SNUS - It's the KIDS..

Samuel Garten, et al.
bmj.com, 26 Feb 2008 [Full text]