MEDICATIONS: STUDY SHOWS NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IS USED BY ADOLESCENT SMOKERS AND NONSMOKERS

June 10, 2003 — Nicotine replacement therapies, including the patch and gum, are readily available to adolescents, and are used by adolescent smokers and nonsmokers, according to an article in the June issue of The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Rates of smoking in adolescents and youths remains high, according to information in the article. In 2000, 15.1 percent of middle school students and 34.5 percent of high school students reporting that they smoke. More than half of these smokers stated that they have tried to quit in the previous 12 months. Because of the difficulty of quitting smoking, especially in adolescents, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been considered for this group. However, information on the availability of NRT to youth and their use of these products has not been available.

Lisa M. Klesges, Ph.D., of University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tenn., and colleagues investigated the prevalence, accessibility and reasons for NRT use among adolescent smokers and nonsmokers. The researchers surveyed 4,078 high school students in city schools in Memphis, Tenn., during the 1998 school term.

The researchers found that 216 (approximately 5 percent) adolescents reported trying or using nicotine gum or patches. Females were less likely than males, and African Americans were less likely than others to use NRT. African-American smokers used NRT the most if they reported low smoking levels, while other smokers used NRT when smoking more. Almost 40 percent of former smokers reported using NRT to help them quit smoking, but 75 percent of current smokers endorsed using NRT for reasons other than trying to quit smoking, including using NRT when they were unable to smoke, and 18 percent of NRT users reported that they never were smokers. The researchers also found that more than 50 percent of the students reported that it would be easy for them to get NRT.

"Although many current and former smokers report using NRT to quit smoking, misuse was reported by never smokers, and some youth reported using NRT simultaneously with smoking cigarettes," write the authors. "Potential misuse coupled with easy NRT accessibility leads us to recommend youth monitoring and education programs to enhance appropriate use of NRT. In particular, health care guidelines and professional training may be needed to establish counseling programs to discourage inappropriate use of NRT and enhance the effectiveness of its use as a cessation aid in young smokers."