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Anti-smoking Clinic
The Anti-smoking Clinic which was set up in November
1962, continued to operate group therapy sessions
throughout the year under the guidance and supervision of
Dr. J. Griffith Edwards of the Maudsley Hospital. Each
person was invited to attend for four successive weeks
and was then followed up by a postal enquiry at monthly
intervals for a further three months.
In September 1964 an article was published in 'The
Lancet' reporting the results of an investigation carried
out by Dr. Griffith Edwards at the Anti-smoking Clinic
the previous year into the efficacy of buffered lobeline
sulphate. This was entitled 'Double-blend Trial of
Lobeline in an Anti-smoking Clinic' and the following
extracts are of considerable interest.
Twenty-five women cigarette smokers were treated
with lobeline and 25 with placebo; patients were
randomly allocated to one of these groups.
Patients were seen by appointment for an initial
interview of 30 minutes and at this interview the
dangers of continued smoking were discussed in detail.
The special difficulties which giving up smoking
seemed to present to the particular individual were
also talked over.
Patients were then offered the aid of tablets,
these tablets were represented as being a powerful
aid to stopping smoking, but it was stated that the
tablets, although lessening the craving for cigarettes
were not a 'cure' which could replace the
necessity of the patient's own resolve. Patients who
received lobeline were given a week's supply of
tablets....... to be taken three times a day, while
patients on placebo were given with the same instructions
tablets which appeared identical with the
lobeline and which cantained 15 mg quinine sulphate
so as to give them the same taste as the lobeline
tablets.
Patients were seen for three further weekly
appointments and the supply of tablets renewed.
Diary cards were provided on which patients recorded
the number of cigarettes smoked and these were
handed in at the end of each week.