Last November, the NHS announced a miracle cure for smokers: a demographic I've identified with from age 14. Better than a nicotine patch and much better than a vape, GPs are now able to prescribe a pill called Varenicline for a duration of 12 weeks (24 in severe cases). Varenicline is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and has some of the highest success rates for those attempting to quit smoking . It also costs next to nothing: £9.90 for 28 film-coated tablets in local pharmacies, amounting to two weeks' worth of treatment.
Varenicline is the upgraded version of an old pill by Pfizer sold under the brand name Champix, which was shelved in 2021 because it contained too many nitrosamines: naturally occurring compounds and the result of a reaction between nitrates and amines. They typically appear during food processing and – ironic for something found in an anti-smoking medicine – can be carcinogenic.
