Ozempic: The Diabetes Drug That Could Help You Quit Smoking

A yearlong study found that patients using semaglutide for diabetes were less likely to seek medical help for quitting smoking compared to those on other diabetes meds. It seems semaglutide might be pulling double duty, helping people kick the habit all on its own. The folks at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) weren’t entirely shocked, given the countless stories of patients saying semaglutide made smoking less appealing. The findings, hot off the press in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that semaglutide might reduce smoking by dialing down the nicotine-induced dopamine release in the brain—at least, that’s what the mouse studies say. So, if you’re looking to stub out that cigarette, semaglutide might just be your new best friend.