According to the American Lung Association, smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 438,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of exposure to tobacco's carcinogens through secondhand smoke. Approximately $167 billion each year in health-care costs, an average of $3,702 per adult smoker. It has been shown that quitting smoking now greatly reduces risks of heart disease, emphysema, and other serious medical conditions, and several drugs have been developed to assist patients in quitting smoking.

Chantix or Champix, known also as Varenicline Tartrate, is a prescription medicine given to patients seeking to end their smoking addiction. In the past, quitting aids have mostly focused on Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT's) which use a limited release of nicotine into the body to ease cravings. Chantix operates without using any nicotine. The drug attempts to reduce cravings among individuals taking it. Common side effects of Chantix include nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping and abnormal dreams. According to the drug's manufacturer, Pfizer, nearly 5 million prescriptions for Chantix have been written and it is likely that 3 million individuals are currently taking the drug.

In November 2007, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) began investigating reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior among patients taking the medicine, after they had received reports of 37 suicides and more than 400 of suicidal behaviors in connection with the Chantix. A link between Chantix and serious psychiatric complications is becoming progressively probable, according to the FDA. Those who have preexisting psychosis or other mental illnesses, the drug may increase the previous disorders. Two weeks after this report, Pfizer added stronger Chantix warnings to the drug's packaging, stating publicly that while a direct link between Chantix and the reported psychiatric problems did not exist, the possibility of Chantix-induced psychotic episodes could not be ruled out. The manufacturer believes that the erratic behavior and psychosis in Chantix users is due to the withdrawal of nicotine. However, the FDA's findings stated that even those patients who had continued smoking had similar psychiatric episodes. Indeed, cases of such extreme psychiatric problems have not manifested themselves as prominently in over the counter quitting aids, such as NRT's.

The most publicized case thus far has been that of Carter Albrecht, who, after assaulting his girlfriend, was shot and killed by his neighbor who mistook him for a burglar. The strange circumstances associated with Albrecht's death were blamed on him taking Chantix, according to friends and family. The situation is serious and nearly 200 comments were posted on ABC's Web site after the story aired, with individuals complaining of similar side effects. Many of these cases involved consumption of a moderate to heavy amount of alcohol, but an almost equal number reported these severe side effects with no alcohol imbibed. The potential for Chantix side effects to cause a suicide in a patient is an ever-increasingly likelihood.

Considering the evidence, it would appear that Chantix has produced extreme or serious effects in a larger percentage of patients than what was originally found in the FDA tests. Thoughts of suicide, euphoric to depressed mood swings, anxiety, and hallucinations appear to be almost common in the majority of available information from patients reporting back. As such, patients taking Chantix should seriously consider consulting with their health care provider about the continued use of the drug, especially in cases where patients have a history of psychiatric illness.

If you or someone you know is taking Chantix, or has taken the drug in the past, it may be in your best interest to consider consulting with an expert Chantix attorney about the prospect of any Chantix lawsuit, especially as the possibility of a Chantix class action lawsuit looms.