The Food and Drug Administration has said it will immediately require two smoking-cessation drugs, Chantix and Zyban, to carry the agency’s strongest safecty warnings over side effects including depression, behavior changes, agitation, hostility and suicidal thoughts.
The new requirement, called a “Black Box” warning, is based on reports of experiencing unusual changes in behavior, becoming depressed, or having suicidal thoughts while taking the drugs. The antidepressant Wellbutrin, which has the same active ingredient as GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Zyban, already carries such a warning.
There have been 98 suicides and 188 attempted suicides reported with Chantix users and 14 suicides and 17 attempted suicides with Zyban and Wellbutrin (and generic equivalents).
Maybe it’s time to quit the healthy, safe and natural way. Hypnosis does not involve chemicals and there are no boxed warning labels!
