A new study finds the anti-smoking medication Chantix can boost the likelihood cigarette smokers who aren't ready to stop cold turkey will cut down gradually on the habit.

The authors of this study found smokers that used varenicline were able to reduce their smoking, and more of them quit compared to those using a placebo.

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Chantix (varenicline) is manufactured by Pfizer Inc., which funded the study. It appears to help smokers quit or cut back on their nicotine habit by making cigarette smoking less satisfying.

The two-pill-a-day treatment costs about US$280 a month, and patients are advised to use it for 12 to 24 weeks.

"The main contribution of this study is that it demonstrates that for patients who are not ready to quit right away, the use of Chantix could be helpful in getting them to cut down, and then, eventually, to making a quit attempt," said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.

Researchers targeted a particular kind of smoker - those not ready to quit within the next month but willing to try to cut smoking and quit in three months.

Lead author Dr. Jon Ebbert, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, said research is divided over whether this is a good idea compared to quitting completely. U.S. health guidelines recommend quitting abruptly.

Researchers asked patients to meet specific targets: reduce smoking by 50 percent at the end of four weeks and by 75 percent at eight weeks. The final goal was to quit smoking entirely by 12 weeks.

By week four, 47.1 percent of the varenicline group had cut their smoking by half. Only 31.1 percent of the placebo group was able to do the same.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Chantix has a black box warning it may seriously contribute to depression or even suicide. Other possible behavior changes include hostility and agitation.

The study was published in JAMA.

Tagssmoking, quit smoking, smoker, Chantix, varenicline, anti-drug, anti-smoking medication, anti-smoking