Rosen LJ, et al. - Considering the randomized controlled trials demonstrating smoking cessation medications to be effective in increasing abstinence, researchers investigated if the benefits of smoking cessation medications decline over the first year. Studies from 3 systematic reviews published by the Cochrane Collaboration were selected. They used meta-analysis to synthesize information on sustained abstinence (SA) at 6 vs 12 months and 3 vs 6 months, using the risk difference (‘net benefit’) between intervention and control group quit rates, the relative risk and the odds ratio. Outcomes suggested that despite a decrease in the proportion of smokers who use smoking cessation medications who benefit from doing so during the course of the first year, a net benefit still remained at 12 months.