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Follow on Google News | Action on Champix and Other Cessation MedicationsChampix is one of the many cessation treatments available on the market (and on prescription), differing from most because it doesn't contain nicotine.
By: Freedom2Choose Although they found no strong evidence of an increased risk of self harm related to varenicline, the authors caution 'the limited power of the study means we cannot rule out either a halving or a twofold increased risk'. So much for no link. Even the EPG(2) drug information page on Champix gives the information: Post-marketing cases of myocardial infarction, depression and suicidal ideation have been reported in patients taking varenicline. There have also been reports of hypersensitivity reactions, such as angioedema and facial swelling. That's alright then – there is a link between Champix and other kinds of harm though we don't know that it is conclusive. Note also the ban(3) on aviation personnel taking Champix, implemented last year. Our main story is the work of a hypnotherapist, Chris Holmes. He notes how nearly two years after a safety warning had been issued about suicidal thoughts and behaviour connected with Champix, no warning has appeared on the site for Action on Smoking and Health – an organisation supposedly set up with the health of smokers in mind. He also notes how the treatments recommended by ASH are exclusively drug based. Even after former Director Deborah Arnott had been forced to apologise to Easyway, because she denied they had a 53 per cent success rate, ASH did not do the decent thing and recommend the Allen Carr method (or hypnotherapy) Last week the Department of Health issued a series of press releases honouring heroes in the 'smoking cessation profession' from different areas(5) in the north west of England(6). I was under the impression that such awards were usually given for voluntary work but those nominated do appear to be on the public payroll for their activities. The expression 'smoking cessation profession' suggests that careers are based on trying to stop people smoking – how strange! ... so many people employed to fight the use of a legal drug that nobody has any intention to outlaw, but they do want to control it. Even more astonishing that, like ASH, the NHS appears to promote only drug remedies(7) to smoking, rather than hypnosis or the Easy Way method – although they do supply books, and counselling support. There is reason to doubt, however, that 'you are four times more likely to quit with NRT', as Chris discovered(8) It is hard to escape the conclusion that drug manufacturers have their interests well and truly tied up with tobacco control – it is imperative that politicians realise that the smoking cessation treatments that are being offered to smokers are not the ones that produce the best success rates, but those that further the interests of tobacco control. In the words of Allen Carr(9) in his open letter to Tony Blair: “Your government, aided by the medical establishment, the NHS, ASH and QUIT, under the powerful influence of the pharmaceutical industry, is pouring hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money each year into the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies which are, in effect, competing with the tobacco industry to supply the nicotine addicted market and perpetuate nicotine addiction.” This is hard enough for those of us at large in the community: it is even worse for those not at liberty, like people in psychiatric care, whose smoking facilities are being closed to them.(10) References: 1 http://www.medilexicon.com/ 2 http://www.epgonline.org/ 3 http://www.faa.gov/ 4 http://www.ash.org.uk/ 5 http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ 6 http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ 7 http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ 8 http://www.truthwillout.co.uk/ 9 http://allencarr.com/ 10 http://www.truthwillout.co.uk/ # # # A non-profit making voluntary organisation funded solely by the contributions of our members, and are united in their determination to expose the myths about smoking that are currently leading to the removals of the freedoms of people in our nation. End
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