The Effects of Transdermal Nicotine for the Treatment of Hispanic Smokers

Objective: To assess the efficacy of transdermal nicotine as an adjunct to smoking cessation in Hispanics. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. Intervention: Nicotine or placebo transdermal system (patch) and brief individual motivational support. Results: Six-week abstinence rates in the nicotine versus placebo groups were 63 versus 35%, respectively, and were 46 versus 26%, respectively, at 10 weeks. These differences in abstinence rates between the two groups were significant at 6 weeks (x² = 7.26, p <0.01) and 10 weeks (x² = 4.01, p = 0.05). Withdrawal symptoms were not suppressed, though weight was suppressed, in the transdermal nicotine group.