A new drug that can double your chance of kicking the habit is set to be available to the more than six million Brits in just a matter of days. Cytisine pills, which have been shown to dampen nicotine cravings, are expected to be available on the NHS by the end of the month, providing a new option for those looking to quit smoking.

Despite the common New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, the highly addictive nature of nicotine makes it a challenging endeavor. Government figures indicate that about 75% of smokers who quit for at least 4 weeks end up smoking again within 12 months. While nicotine replacements like vapes, gum, and patches can help with cravings, they do not address the underlying addiction to tobacco.

However, the introduction of cytisine pills offers a new approach to breaking the addiction to smoking. Derived from laburnum seeds, cytisine is a natural ingredient that has been used in eastern Europe for decades. After gaining regulatory approval in Britain, the pills are scheduled to be available for the first time in the UK on January 22. This marks a significant development as cytisine is still unavailable in most countries, including the US.

The Department of Health is also taking steps to make the new medication more accessible. With a £70 million funding boost, they plan to urge local councils to prescribe the pills starting from the spring. According to a source cited by The Sun, this is the first new stop smoking medicine to be launched in the UK in over 10 years.

The availability of cytisine pills presents a promising opportunity for smokers in the UK to enhance their efforts to quit smoking. With its potential to double the chances of successfully kicking the habit, this new medication could significantly impact the landscape of smoking cessation methods in the country.