Ozempic Could Help You Quit Smoking, Study Finds

Good news for those trying to quit smoking.

Ozempic has seemingly exploded in popularity in recent years. The drug was originally created for adults living with diabetes, but more doctors have been prescribing the injectable medication off-label. As Ozempic's use grows around the world, so too does the scientific literature around its positive and negative side effects. 

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal should come as good news for smokers trying to kick their tobacco addiction. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine analyzed the medical records of nearly 230,000 patients with both diabetes and tobacco use disorder who were prescribed diabetes medications from December 2017 to March 2023. In the end, the team found that smokers with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed Ozempic were 32 percent less likely to mention tobacco use with their doctor a year after starting the drug when compared to patients taking other diabetes drugs. They also saw that those taking Ozempic were up to 68 percent less likely to be prescribed drugs to help them quit smoking and 21 percent less likely to get counseling to get over their addiction. 

The results align with past anecdotes from patients who've testified that semaglutide drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have helped them stamp out their addictions to alcohol and tobacco. According to Quartz, a Morgan Stanley survey earlier this year found that nearly half of all respondents stopped smoking cigarettes or e-cigarettes after they started taking one of these drugs. 

"While there are effective medications to support people if they wish to stop smoking, not everyone responds to them," study lead author Rong Xu said of their mission in a statement. "As a result of the high relapse rates, alternative medications to help people stop smoking are needed."

Still, correlation doesn't equal causation, and the scientists cautioned that more research needs to be done to confirm just what the interaction is between Ozempic and tobacco addiction, including if semaglutide drugs can actually be effective in curbing tobacco cravings. In other words, until then, stick to the patch.