Varenicline (Champix) is a relatively new medicine that is effective in helping people to
quit smoking. It is normally started 1-week before stopping smoking and used for up to 12-24
weeks. We are trying to find out if using varenicline for an extended time (4-weeks) before
stopping smoking is better than the standard 1-week of use prior to stopping.
The study will recruit 100 smokers who want to stop. They will be randomly allocated to
receive varenicline(4-weeks) or placebo (3-weeks followed by 1-week of active treatment as
indicated by standard prescribing practice), followed by a 12-week open label treatment
period where all participants will receive varenicline.