Nicotine gum: does providing it free in a smoking cessation program alter success rates?

Successful strategies to enhance smoking cessation are important in family medicine. Many facets of smoking-cessation programs have been evaluated to determine their effectiveness in contributing to success. One factor that has not been investigated is the effect of cost to the smoker of nicotine gum. A retrospective analysis of the 1-year sustained (lapse-free abstinence) success rates of 375 participants in a smoking-cessation program, led by family physicians, revealed that participants who were provided nicotine gum by their employer had a significantly higher 1-year success rate (38% vs 27%) than those who purchased the gum individually.