Smoking cessation 4: antidepressants for smoking cessation – bupropion and nortriptyline

Cigarette smoking remains the most preventable cause of illness, death and excess healthcare costs in the UK. Most smokers want to stop smoking and intend to stop at some point. In this fourth article in our occasional series on smoking cessation in primary care, we look at the evidence for the use of antidepressants, including bupropion, which is licensed for this indication, and nortriptyline, which is not.