Dikshita MEHTA, Leena SELVAMARY, S. G. Ramesh KUMAR, Sujatha ANANDAN
Addicta The Turkish Journal On Addictions - 2026;13(2):150-157
The tobacco epidemic is a public health threat, killing more than 8 million people annually. Liquorice is an herbal medicine that acts as a modulator of GABA receptors and may induce sedative and anxiolytic effects; thereby, it can support smoking cessation. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of liquorice root and sugarless chewing gum in smoking cessation using a randomized controlled trial design. Smokers aged 18 to 74 years attending a tobacco cessation centre were recruited. A total of 116 smokers were recruited, and written informed consent was obtained. The level of tobacco dependence was assessed using Fagerstrom addiction score at baseline. Fifty-eight participants were allocated to the liquorice group (LG) and 58 to the chewing gum group (CG). Both groups received tobacco cessation counselling. The LG received liquorice root and CG received sugarless chewing gum for four weeks. Follow-up was conducted at 1, 2 and 3 months to evaluate self-reported continuous tobacco abstinence, relapse rate, Fagerstrom addiction scores and CO breath levels in both groups. The present study demonstrated a significant reduction in smoking measures (self-reported continuous abstinence and carbon monoxide breath levels and Fagerstrom addiction scores) in the liquorice group compared with the chewing gum group. Self-reported continuous abstinence at 3 months was 72.4% and 60.3% in LG and CG, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the levels of exhaled CO reduction between LG and CG at 2 months ( P=0.046) and 3 months ( P=0.013) In the current trial, liquorice root demonstrated superior efficacy over sugarless chewing gum as a substitute for a smoking form of tobacco.
