GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Release: Nicotine Replacement Therapy Is Safe, Effective and Can Help Reverse Mental Acuity Deficits in Smokers Who Are Quitting, Including Commercial and Private Pilots Commit 4 mg Lozenge Helps Reverse Symptoms Associ

PITTSBURGH, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In light of today's announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it has removed a prescription anti-smoking pill from their approved list of safe medications for pilots and air-traffic controllers, it's important to note this news does not include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which is deemed safe and effective. (1) Further, recent research has found the Commit 4 mg lozenge has been clinically proven to help reverse nicotine withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking including the following: difficulty concentrating, attention deficit, short-term memory deficit and selective attention deficit (2) -- some of the issues at the core of today's report.

In 1994, the FAA requested the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assemble an expert panel to examine the effects of smoking and tobacco addiction and withdrawal on pilot performance and airline safety. As part of the panel's conclusion, they found NRT to be safe, effective treatment option for pilots who smoke. (1) Those recommendations stand to this day.

"Nicotine withdrawal is a serious issue for pilots who are in the process of quitting smoking, and today's news could have a dramatic impact on these individuals," said Jack E. Henningfield, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Vice President Research & Health Policy, Pinney Associates, and consultant for GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. "What they need to understand is that NRT such as the Commit lozenge is safe for quitters, including pilots who use it while flying, (1) and can help with the serious effects of withdrawal."

Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease and one of the most powerful and important addictions to break and many smokers can't do it alone. Evidence-based treatments, such as NRT offer a better chance of quitting versus cold turkey, where only 3-5 percent of smokers are successful long-term. (3)

Nicotine replacement therapy including the Commit lozenge, Nicorette gum and NicoDerm CQ patch can help relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings during smoking cessation. More than 110 studies involving approximately 40,000 smokers have demonstrated the safety of NRT even in populations with specific health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lung disease, and existing heart disease. (4)

About the Commit Lozenge

Commit is approved by the FDA to help control tough cravings associated with quitting smoking. (5) Commit has a groundbreaking dosage selector based on how soon a smoker smokes his first cigarette in the morning, so he can choose the strength that's right for him. The Commit lozenge helps people stop smoking by providing low, safe doses of NRT to ease withdrawal from cigarettes. Commit comes in different strengths -- 2 mg or 4 mg -- to be used depending on how soon a smoker has his first cigarette in the morning. The 2 mg dosage is for smokers who usually have their first cigarette more than thirty minutes after waking up. The 4 mg dosage is for smokers who usually have their first cigarette within thirty minutes of waking up.

About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest over-the-counter consumer healthcare products companies. GSK offers the widest range of proven NRT products available, products which can significantly improve a smoker's chance of quitting successfully and have helped millions of people quit smoking. In addition, GSK offers several resources and support services designed specifically to help smokers and non-smokers understand and address the two components to smoking cessation: nicotine addiction and habit change. Its more than 30 well-known brands include the leading smoking cessation products, Nicorette(R), NicoDerm(R) CQ and Commit(R) as well as many medicine cabinet staples, including Abreva(R), alli(R) Aquafresh(R), Sensodyne(R), Tums(R) and Breathe Right(R), trademarks owned and/or licensed to GlaxoSmithKline Group of Companies.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

CONTACT: Samantha Schwarz of GolinHarris, +1-312-622-1124,
sschwarz@golinharris.com, for GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare; or
Jennifer May of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, +1-412-200-3729,
jennifer.l.may@gsk.com