I have no intention of turning this blog into an anti-Chantix campaign, but the horror stories about possible fatal side effects of this very controversial stop smoking drug seem to keep pouring in.

Now a man in the UK committed suicide, after suddenly developing depression while on the smoking cessation medication Champix, (the European name for Chantix).

The British Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, MHRA, disclosed last week that it received nearly 1000 reports of adverse reactions, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

A week ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the possibility of severe side effects of Chantix, after receiving more than 5000 complaints.

Please see my blogs FDA releases over 5000 Chantix Complaints and Stop smoking drugs side effects may be worse than thought for more information on last week’s news. - Franc Tausch, PhD, CCHT

The family of a man who killed himself while taking a ”wonder pill" to help him give up smoking have blamed his death on side effects of the drug.

Omer Jama hoped the Champix tablets were the cure that would end his 15-year addiction to smoking - but his family are certain that they led him to take his own life.

Last week American drug safety experts issued a warning about the pill and suicide.

Only four weeks after he began a course of pills to help kick his 20-a-day habit, Mr Jama, 39, a television editor, was found dead with his wrists slashed at his home.

His death came only four days after he was pictured smiling with his newborn niece. He had also recently booked a holiday to Cuba to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Mr Jama’s brother, Ali, said the keen golfer, from Bolton, had split from his wife earlier this year but the pair remained on good terms.

"They just weren’t the actions of a man who was contemplating suicide," said Mr Jama, 41.

"He’s got no history of depression and was never the sort of person you would see feeling sorry for himself.

Up to 200,000 people in Britain have taken the twice-a-day tablets after the treatment was hailed as the most effective weapon in the fight to give up smoking.

It was disclosed last week that the MHRA has received 839 reports of adverse reactions. Forty-six were linked to depression, with 16 smokers claiming to have suffered suicidal thoughts - although no suicides were reported.

An MHRA spokesman said the drug was now being closely monitored, with doctors warned to keep an eye on patients.

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