International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-7802132017091018191819ENTobacco Prevention and Control Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran20170910<p><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Background</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">Providing smoking cessation services are special importance to tobacco control programs. To date, Champix is a new expensive medication for smoking cessation available nationally. Champix has both agonist and antagonist activities and can reduce nicotine dependence<br />and withdrawal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the duration of using Champix based on its cost. </span></p><p><strong></strong><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Methods</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">This quasi‑experimental study was conducted with smokers presenting to the Tanaffos Smoking Cessation Clinic in Tehran, Iran 2016. Smokers were visited by a physician 3 times at 1‑week intervals for counseling. Smokers started to use Champix and stopped smoking in<br />the 2nd week of counseling and were followed up by phone and through regular visits to the clinic at 1, 3, and 6 months postintervention. Some of them did not continue medication for 12 weeks because of its cost. </span></p><p><strong></strong><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Results</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">A total of 227 smokers including 133 males (58%) with a mean age of 43 years were enrolled of whom 116 (51.1%), 89 (43.6%), and 34 (20.6%) had quit smoking after 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Quit rates were signifcantly higher among those who used Champix for more than 6 weeks, and this rate was not correlated with age, sex, educational level, or nicotine dependence. </span></p><p><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Conclusions</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">Use of Champix for more than 6 weeks increases the quitting success rate compared with using for a shorter time. The cost of Champix was important for smokers and adding Champix to the list of insurance medication or getting it free of charge is needed.</span></p><p><span class="fontstyle0" style="color: #00652e;"><strong>Keywords</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle3">Champix, quit, smoking</span> <br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /></p>http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/1819http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/1819/2108