I want to quit smoking. Is it true that the new drug varenicline (Chantix) is more effective than other treatments? —A.G., Seattle

Possibly. Varenicline eases cigarette cravings by providing mild nicotine-like effects, while potentially blocking some of the satisfaction cigarettes provide when you do smoke. Several manufacturer-funded studies have shown that it may work a little better than the antidepressant bupropion (Zyban and generic), often used for smoking cessation. (Research hasn’t compared varenicline with counseling or nicotine-replacement products, both of which appear comparable in efficacy to bupropion.) While the side effects reported for varenicline are relatively mild, the drug is too new to judge its safety definitively. So try the more-established treatments first and consider varenicline if they don’t work.