Researchers hope psilocybin could improve quit rates for smokers
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly – November 19, 2021
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Current treatments for nicotine addiction achieve less than a 30% success rate, sparking wonder about new approaches in medicine. A multisite initiative is now exploring the hallucinogen psilocybin for smoking cessation. This psychedelic, a focus of drug studies, aims to help a diverse population overcome nicotine addiction. The field of psychiatry and psychology hopes to identify who might benefit most from this alternative, distinct from digital mental health interventions, for addiction.
Abstract
With nicotine being one of the most addictive substances and the available treatments for nicotine addiction leading to no better than a 30% success rate, it's no wonder that a newly announced multisite study of the psychedelic psilocybin for smoking cessation is generating excitement. While taking care not to oversell the potential of this strategy, those involved with the research hope at least that a large study with a diverse population will help identify who might eventually benefit most from the alternative approach.