When you smoke a cigarette, a significant amount of acetaldehyde is absorbed into your saliva from the tobacco smoke. The slowly released L-cysteine contained in the Acetium lozenge is very effective in binding this acetaldehyde in saliva. Using Acetium lozenge during smoking changes the taste of cigarettes and reduces the pleasure of smoking, making it easier for you to give up.

Acetium lozenges are designed to be taken whenever smoking, in other words the lozenge is kept in your mouth for the entire time you are smoking. If required, you can take a second lozenge during the same cigarette. Once you have stopped smoking, the lozenges are no longer necessary as the effect is only present when they are taken while smoking. On average, the smokers who took part in the trial were able to quit within 3-4 months, while some required up to 6 months. For this reason, we recommend that the lozenges are used for a period of at least 6 months to achieve the desired effect.

In two separate trials, the average time to quit smoking using Acetium lozenges was slightly over 100 days. For some smokers, the effect was achieved sooner (in a few weeks), while others required 6 months of use. This is reflective of differences in the way individuals react to the effects of Acetium lozenges, and is the reason why no single time frame for achieving the effect can be determined.

Despite the fact that there is no upper limit to the daily intake of Acetium lozenges in terms of its active ingredient, a daily upper limit of 40 lozenges has been determined. This is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes. The daily upper limit has been set mainly due to the laxative effects that many begin to experience after this dose is exceeded (increased frequency of defecation, diarrhoea). These side effects are caused by and are typical of the xylitol contained in the lozenge. The active ingredient in the lozenge (slowly released L-cysteine) is so low in concentration that it has no significance in determining the daily intake limit.

There is no practical restriction to this. However, as our trials were only included adult participants, we have not clinically studied the effectiveness and effects of the product on young persons.

The concentration of the active ingredient in the lozenges is so low that it has no side effects. However, as the lozenges contain a small amount of xylitol, excess daily intake (over 40 pcs) of the lozenges may result in laxative effects in some people. There are no other reported side effects.

The active ingredient in the lozenges is slowly released L-cysteine. Studies have shown that acetaldehyde absorbed in saliva from tobacco smoke can be removed almost entirely with a very low dosage of L-cysteine.

The product has gone through extensive testing. Its effectiveness in eliminating acetaldehyde from saliva has been demonstrated in several clinical trials. The suitable dosage for the active ingredient has also been tested in these trials. The effectiveness of the lozenge as an aid in quitting smoking is based on two independent clinical trials that produced almost consistent findings. Similarly, the findings on the mechanism by which the product is effective were consistent. Both found that the lozenge changes the taste of cigarettes and reduces the pleasure of smoking.

As with all products manufactured in tablet form, Acetium lozenges contain certain excipients necessary to disperse the active ingredient as a slowly released lozenge. These excipients are used commonly in many similar medications and equivalent products. An allergic reaction to such substances is rare but not impossible. If you know of any allergies to the substances used as excipients in the lozenges, you should refrain from using the product.

Drinking alcohol can also increase levels of acetaldehyde in saliva, however the lozenges are effective regardless of whether the source of acetaldehyde is cigarettes or alcohol. The topic as such has not been studied, but there is no discernible reason for the lozenges not to be effective also in this case. It is logical to presume that use of the lozenges should be increased in dosage and/or frequency when consuming alcohol and cigarettes simultaneously. In such cases, it would be helpful to also take lozenges between cigarettes in order to achieve a more balanced effect on the overall acetaldehyde concentration in saliva, in comparison with only taking the lozenges while smoking.

As no practical tests have been performed on expired products, we cannot guarantee their effectiveness and therefore cannot recommend the use of the lozenges after the expiration date.

Although acetaldehyde is found in the vapour of e-cigarettes no studies of Acetium's effectiveness for quitting e-cigarettes have been carried out, and therefore we cannot recommend the use of the lozenges to quit e-cigs.