Cytisine: What is new smoking cessation drug, can it help you stop smoking in 2024?

With the new year in full swing, countless people across the UK will have resolved to quit smoking for good.

But quitting smoking can be notoriously difficult, with mood swings, difficulty sleeping and food cravings. Understanding these cravings and how to beat them can be a huge step towards going smoke-free.

Newly-approved medicine such as cytisine can also help, but stopping smoking consistently ranks as one of the hardest resolutions to keep. As we enter 2024, gosmokefree has shared some of the ways people can kick the habit.

An expert spokesperson said: "One of the most common side effects when stopping smoking is developing a chesty cough. The best way to manage a chesty cough is to stay hydrated, take hot showers to loosen mucus in the respiratory passages, and use honey to reduce irritation in the throat.

"It’s also key to be aware of your diet, as spicy and sugary foods can trigger nicotine. Furthermore, if you opt for excessively sugary foods when quitting smoking, you run the risk of forming a sugar addiction as a replacement for nicotine.

"Exercises that include weights or resistance bands can build stronger muscles that are more efficient at using oxygen. This means that the blood flow increases throughout the body as the lungs don’t need to work as hard. Pilates is also great if you’re wanting to boost lung capacity, as it helps to tone up the lungs which can help reduce shortness of breath."

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK, with figures suggesting that more than 100,000 people die as a result of smoking each year.

At the end of this month, cytisine pills are due to become available in the UK. Researchers in Argentina claim the drug is perhaps more effective than nicotine replacement therapy.

Omar de Santi, a toxicologist at the Posadas National hospital in Argentina, said: "Our study adds to the evidence that cytisine is an effective and inexpensive stop-smoking aid. Worldwide, smoking is considered the main cause of preventable death. Cytisine has the potential to be one of the big answers to that problem."