Cytisine Use in a Smoking Cessation Clinic: The Case of Türkiye

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is a major public health concern worldwide. However, smoking cessation significantly reduces the negative outcomes associated with tobacco use. Therefore, smoking cessation treatments play a crucial role in public health. The two primary approaches to smoking cessation are psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. In this study, we aim to share our experience with cytisine-based smoking cessation treatment in our outpatient clinic, which has recently been introduced in our country.
METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted on individuals presenting to the Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic of Balýkesir Atatürk City Hospital between June 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. Patients received cytisine treatment for one month, and their demographic data, smoking cessation status, and any reported side effects were recorded.
RESULTS: A total of 754 patients presented to the Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic during the study period. After applying the exclusion criteria, the final study population included 557 patients. The smoking cessation rate among participants was 55.3% (n=308). Additionally, 124 out of 557 patients (22.3%) reported experiencing at least one side effect, with a total of 158 side effects recorded. Smoking cessation success was higher among patients who did not experience side effects.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: For a drug to be deemed appropriate for clinical use, it must be both effective and have minimal side effects. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of cytisine, and its side-effect profile has been well documented in the literature. Our findings indicate that data from our country are generally consistent with existing literature. In our study, the most commonly reported side effects were nausea, dry mouth, and insomnia. We shared our experience with the use of cytisine, which has been recently introduced in our country. Our findings indicate that cytisine is effective in smoking cessation and is associated with mild, tolerable side effects.