Quitting smoking remains one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, and for those determined to give it up in 2026, a new treatment option has just become available in Spain.
Recigarum Oral Solution, a prescription-only medication, is now on the market and is funded by Spain’s National Health System (SNS).
The treatment is aimed at adults who are motivated to quit smoking and works by reducing nicotine dependence and easing withdrawal-related anxiety.
Its ultimate goal is the permanent cessation of tobacco and other nicotine products.
Unlike previous versions of the medication, the key innovation is its oral liquid format, offering an alternative to traditional tablets. Specialists say this could help improve adherence among some patients.
Dr Carlos A. Jimenez-Ruiz, a pulmonologist and smoking-cessation specialist, described the launch as ‘a relevant innovation’ in pharmacological treatment for tobacco addiction.
Another important factor is public funding, which experts say plays a decisive role in successful smoking cessation.
According to Raul de Simon, coordinator of the Smoking Group at SEMERGEN (Spain’s primary care doctors’ society), funding significantly increases quit attempts and long-term abstinence while reducing health inequalities.
He also criticised current access criteria, describing them as ‘overly restrictive’ and not fully aligned with scientific evidence, arguing that universal access to smoking-cessation medication is a cost-effective public health measure supported by World Health Organization recommendations.
How the treatment works
Marketed by Adamed Laboratorios, Recigarum Oral Solution is a mint-flavoured, colourless-to-yellow transparent liquid, administered orally with or without water.
It is supplied in a multi-dose pump dispenser, with each spray delivering 0.19 ml of solution containing 1.5 mg of the active ingredient, equivalent to one tablet dose.
The full treatment lasts 25 days and follows a strict dosage schedule:
- Days 1–3: One dose every two hours (maximum six per day)
- Days 4–12: One dose every 2.5 hours (maximum five per day)
- Days 13–16: One dose every three hours (maximum four per day)
- Days 17–20: One dose every five hours (maximum three per day)
- Days 21–25: One or two doses per day (maximum two)
Patients are advised to stop smoking completely on day five. If a relapse occurs or treatment fails, it should be discontinued and may be restarted after two to three months.
The single package contains 22 ml of solution, providing at least 100 doses, sufficient for the full course.
Cardiologist Jose Abellan, from Santa Lucía Hospital in Cartagena, told EFE that smoking remains one of the most dangerous cardiovascular risk factors, increasing the likelihood of heart attack by two to eight times.
He stressed that newer forms of nicotine consumption, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, shisha and nicotine pouches, do not eliminate this risk, highlighting the importance of providing effective tools and medical support to help smokers quit for good.
