Weight-Loss Drugs Lower Nicotine Cravings

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound, suppress not only appetite but also nicotine cravings, reports Quartz, citing a new report from Morgan Stanley.

The investment bank asked 300 GLP-1 users about their consumption habits while taking the medication.

While 40 percent of survey respondents said they smoked cigarettes at least weekly before starting a GLP-1 treatment, that number fell to 24 percent after they started the treatment. Meanwhile, weekly e-cigarette usage dropped from 30 percent of respondents to 16 percent after they started taking a GLP-1.

Anecdotal evidence from patients and healthcare providers suggests GLP-1s can help users curb their addictions to tobacco.

While research has yet to prove a causal link between the two, clinical trials are currently underway to better understand the effects of GLP-1s on tobacco consumption.

Demand for GLP-1 drugs has grown rapidly recently. Morgan Stanley expects the global market to reach $105 billion by 2030. It projects that the weight-loss medications will be adopted by about 31.5 million U.S. people, or about 9 percent of the nation’s population, by 2035.