A recent study has shown that taking a single dose of a hallucinogenic component found in some mushrooms can significantly increase the chances of quitting smoking compared to traditional methods such as nicotine patches.
A clinical trial conducted by Johns Hopkins University showed that combining psilocybin with cognitive behavioral therapy yielded far better results than treatment with nicotine patches alone.
Smoking is a leading cause of many chronic diseases and leads to the death of approximately 8 million people worldwide each year. Although many smokers want to quit, their attempts often fail due to the lack of an effective, long-term treatment. Current treatments, such as nicotine patches, other medications, and psychological counseling, may provide temporary relief, but they often do not produce lasting results.
Psilocybin's effects differ from those of traditional addiction medications. It doesn't directly interact with nicotine receptors in the brain, but rather works by altering the smoker's thought processes, helping them break the unhealthy habit. The study also indicated that this drug may induce changes in self-concept and increase psychological resilience, which explains its success in promoting smoking cessation.
The trial was conducted at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center between 2015 and 2023, and involved 82 adult smokers who had previously attempted to quit. Participants were randomly divided into two groups:
A group took a single high dose of "psilocybin" under observation.
A group used nicotine patches for 8-10 weeks.
Both groups received 13 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy to help them quit.
After six months, 38 participants remained in the psilocybin group and 32 in the nicotine patch group. The results showed that 40.5% of those receiving psilocybin continued to abstain from smoking, compared to only 10% in the nicotine patch group. Biochemical analyses confirmed these results, with no serious side effects reported, although some headaches, nausea, and a slight increase in blood pressure were observed.
The researchers wrote: "A single dose of psilocybin, combined with behavioral therapy, demonstrated significantly greater abstinence from smoking compared to nicotine patches. After six months, the likelihood of long-term abstinence was six times greater, and the likelihood of seven-day abstinence was three times greater."
However, the researchers noted some limitations, including the small sample size, limited ethnic diversity, high educational attainment of the participants, and the fact that many had prior experience with hallucinogens. These factors may limit the generalizability of the findings to all smokers.
Despite the limitations, researchers believe psilocybin could be a promising tool for overcoming addiction and hope to move forward with obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They also emphasized the need for larger and more diverse studies to determine the most effective treatment, its cost-effectiveness, and its widespread applicability.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
