Randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of buproprion combined with nicotine patch in the treatment of adolescent smokers

(sustained release; 150 mg per day) or (b) nicotine patch plus placebo. Group skills training sessions were conducted each week by research staff. Abstinence rates at Weeks 10 and 26 were as follows: (a) patch plus bupropion, 23 % and 8%, (b) patch plus placebo, 28 % and 7%. Despite the lack of a treatment effect, a large majority of adolescents in both treatment groups reduced their consumption to a few cigarettes per day or less and maintained this reduction over time. Similarly, an examination of survival curves revealed that by the end of treatment many had managed to avoid a return to daily smoking. These findings are encouraging and suggest new avenues for research. For example, treatments of the kind examined in this report, augmented by extended maintenance therapies, may yield higher long-term success rates. Cigarette smoking during adolescence remains an alarming pub-lic health problem. About 7%, 14%, and 21 % of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in the 2000 Monitoring the Future survey reported daily smoking (Johnston, O’Malley, & Bachman, 2000). These rates are substantial and would be even higher if high school dropouts were included in study samples