Which class of antidepressants is NOT effective for smoking cessation?

• A. SSRI
• B. SNRI
• C. MAOI
• D. TCA

Answer: (A)

Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy works best when the chosen antidepressant influences the brain systems that drive nicotine craving and withdrawal, particularly dopamine-related reward pathways. Drugs that primarily boost serotonin, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, do not substantially modulate nicotine reinforcement or alleviate withdrawal, and clinical trials have not shown a reliable advantage for quitting when using this class. That lack of efficacy makes this antidepressant group the best answer to the question. In contrast, other antidepressant classes that touch broader monoaminergic systems have shown at least some signal of helping with cessation, though they are not as consistently beneficial as specialized quit-smoking medications.