Anti-Smoking Drugs May Have Psychological Effects, FDA Requiring Warning Labels on Pfizer Inc.'s Chantix And GlaxoSmithKline's Zyban

NPR -- Sometimes, public health messages can be pretty confusing. The Food and Drug Administration is now requiring warning labels on two prescription drugs: varenicline, marketed as Chantix; and bupropion, marketed as Zyban. The drugs are prescribed to people who are trying to quit smoking. And quitting smoking is, of course, a good thing. But the FDA is concerned that the drugs may set off changes in behavior — hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and attempts at suicide.

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