Ace the 2026 Nicotine Dependence Drugs Challenge – Elevate Your Expertise!

Non-nicotine pharmacotherapies are medicines that help you quit smoking without delivering nicotine. They work by tackling withdrawal and cravings in different ways. Bupropion acts as an antidepressant that lowers cravings and withdrawal symptoms by affecting dopamine and norepinephrine pathways. Varenicline is a partial agonist at the alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor; it helps with withdrawal and also reduces the rewarding effects of nicotine if you smoke. Both are approved for smoking cessation and do not provide nicotine themselves.

The other options list nicotine replacement therapies, which do supply nicotine and are not classified as non-nicotine pharmacotherapies. Examples include patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays.