Nicotine replacement therapy: with or without medical prescription?

Worldwide, the tobacco pandemic is causing 3,5 million deaths per year, inc luding 60 000 in France The World meeting on Tobacco or Health in 1997 drew the attention on the urgent need for an active policy on smoking cessation to limit the great slaughter of 100 million deaths during the next thirty years. To reach this goal, nicotine replacement therapy has shown its effic acy doubling the rate of success. Despite advertising for this product thei r use is very small in France. Medical prescription is the main reason. Whe n the lack of danger of their use by smokers is established, when their mai ntained efficacy is proven with OTC use when all decisions of switch has be en followed by an increased use, it is necessary that France joins the 11 o ther European Union countries who already took that decision.