(May 8, 2008)--A drug the federal government is recommending to doctors to help smokers quit has been linked with depression and suicidal behavior.
New government guidelines mention the psychiatric risks associated with Chantix, but they also say the Pfizer drug is the most effective when it comes to helping people get off cigarettes.
The guidelines mention other options besides the popular drug and recommend counseling in addition to medication.
Consumer advocates caution that it's not known how safe Chantix is because the drug has only been on the market since 2006.
A doctor with the watchdog group Public Citzen says it's "somewhat better" than other therapies but he says it "appears to have more risk."
Another criticism of the guidelines is that their lead author, Dr. Michael Fiore, was previously a consultant to Pfizer.
Fiore says he cut those ties in 2005 and says the guidelines are based on scientific evidence reviewed by independent experts.
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