I had two women friends that used Chantix at the same time to quit smoking. One suffered severe side effects that ceased when she quit using Chantix.. The other had no side effects at all.

Nobody has to tell Ken Albrecht how tough it is to quit cigarettes.

“I’m old enough that everybody I knew when I was growing up smoked,” the Dallas resident said. “If there’s a way to help get people off cigarettes, that’s fine...” But his voice trailed off as he recounted a dinner four years ago at a restaurant in Dallas, the 34th birthday celebration for his son, Carter.

Back then, Carter Albrecht had plenty to celebrate. His indie pop band, Sorta, was drawing crowds. On keyboards, he was landing high-profile gigs with Paul Simon and other national acts. He had a recording session lined up with Charlie Sexton.

Over dinner that night, Carter had talked about a new pill called Chantix. Carter was convinced that it would help him kick his smoking habit. His parents now think the pill led to his death, and they’re part of a class action suit accusing manufacturer Pfizer of concealing that the product could cause erratic behavior. Pfizer denies the allegations, but the plaintiffs may have gotten a boost from a recent study linking bizarre psychological episodes to the main ingredient in Chantix.

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