Chantix suicides may rise under healthcare reform bills

Trenton, NJA part of the healthcare reform bills being levied around the House these days is a provision that would provide funds for smoking cessation drugs for Medicaid subscribers. This should mean increased profits for Pfizer, maker of anti-smoking drug Chantix, but might put consumers at greater risks of Chantix's suicidal side effects.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">"Pfizer is in support of healthcare reform," a Pfizer representative tells the Wall Street Journal, "especially proposals that will increase focus on wellness and prevention including smoking cessation. We support efforts that encourage smoking cessation given that each year more than 440,000 people in the United States die from smoking-related illnesses."

The WSJ reports that nearly 75 percent of states currently include some form smoking cessation coverage in Medicaid, and that the increased pressure of cancer patient advocacy groups has led to the drugs being reclassified as unexcludable under Medicaid.

Chantix has been linked to a series of psychiatric side effects including advanced aggression, depression and suicidal thoughts, prompting the FDA to mandate a warning label highlighting these side effects on all packages of Chantix.

The act of quitting smoking itself has been linked to feelings of depression, and nicotine withdrawal may actually increase pre-existing psychiatric ills.