Thursday 26 April 2001 ET

Air stewardess died after being given drug to quit smoking

AN airline stewardess died a fortnight after her doctor prescribed Zyban, the revolutionary anti-smoking drug, an inquest heard yesterday.

Kerry Weston, 21, who worked for British Airways, was found dead in her hotel room by colleagues during a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya, Hertford Coroner's Court was told. Her death, on Jan 18, was one of 35 linked to the drug since it was introduced to Britain in June.

The inquest heard she had suffered a blackout and headaches before leaving for Kenya and may have died as a result of a fit caused by a reaction with the anti-malaria drugs she was also taking.

Eileen Weston, her mother, said Kerry had suffered a suspected seizure and complained of headaches after starting to take the anti-smoking drug. A post mortem examination found the cause of death was "unascertainable", but traces of Zyban, along with an over-the-counter anti-malaria drug and sleeping medication were found in toxicology tests.

Dr Howard Marsh, senior medical adviser for Zyban at GlaxoSmith- Kline, said there had been 35 deaths following adverse reactions to the drug. But there was no conclusive proof that any were actually linked to the medication. The inquest was adjourned until today.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001

Answers

Don't you love it! Kill them now you won't have to treat them later.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001

Well being one who has taken the drug to stop smoking, I can say that yes they do work to stop the cravings. There is also a ton of information to read before taking them, and most people who take prescription drugs would never think to read all of it. The fine print alone took me a day to get through, and I had to use my magnifying glass to read it all. But 3 months later I was done taking it and have not had the wish for a smoke since (5 months), so it was worth the risk to me. I hope her doctor asked all the questions about her other drug use, and the possibility of other interactions. One more thing, you can't have a drink while taking this, and that would have been enough for a average person.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001

I had stuck on the first Nicoderm patch that morning when I heard on the evening news of a woman who smoked while on the patch and suffered a fatal heart attack. Indeed, the concentration of nicotine brought on the attack, they said. Hmm. Any thoughts I had about cheating immediately evaporated. And, since the nicotine from the patch continues to work for 12 hours after removal, I figured if I can last 12 hours without a cigarette, I can kick the habit. And I did, seven years ago.

Of course, I'm still prone to follow vagrants down the street, snorting their second-hand smoke as I go, and I tend to wait outside the exits of shopping malls, where sales clerks gather to puff, hoping to inhale a stray whisp, but other than that, I'm fine.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001

I have a good friend that blacked out while driving after starting Zyban. Bruised her heart in the ensuing car accident. She's OK now, but had a real bad time of it for a while there.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001