Nicotine chewing gum: effectiveness and the influence of patient education in a family practice.

The effectiveness of nicotine chewing gum in a family practice setting was evaluated. Ninety-nine subjects who were given a prescription for nicotine chewing gum were evaluated after one year to determine smoking status. Forty-nine subjects received only the gum, and 50 received the gum along with extensive personal instruction regarding its use. The two groups were compared with a third control group of 40 smokers who expressed no desire to stop smoking. At the end of one year, 12.2 percent of those receiving only gum and 10 percent receiving gum and instruction had stopped smoking, compared with a 20 percent cessation rate for the control group. The observed difference was not statistically significant (P greater than .05). Results of this study suggest that the use of nicotine gum alone may not be a viable alternative for family physicians whose patients desire to quit smoking.