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Aids to Quit Smoking

Smoking cigarettes has been proven to be one cause of serious medical conditions, such as lung cancer and disease, strokes and heart disease. There are a number of aids, many of which use nicotine replacement therapy, which has been developed to help people stop smoking.

  1. Nicotine Patches and Nicotine Gum

    • Nicotine patches, such as Nicoderm CQ and Habitrol, are placed on the arm or trunk area for 24 hours at a time. The patches send nicotine into the body through the skin. People chew 10 to 12 pieces of nicotine gum, such as Nicorette, a day to prevent nicotine cravings.

    Nicotine Inhalers and Nasal Sprays

    • Nicotine inhalers are cartridges that people take six to 16 puffs of a day in order to release nicotine vapor. Nicotine nasal sprays are aerosolized devices that release nicotine into the nostrils. People generally need to use one to two sprays an hour.

    Nicotine Lozenges

    • Nicotine lozenges are prescription-medications containing nicotine that people take orally at intervals of the day. They should use the lozenges every one to two hours for their first six weeks and cut down their use after six weeks, to one every two to four hours.

    Bupropion Hydrochloride

    • Buproprion hydrochlorides, such as Zylon, are prescription medications that are used to help people smoking. They do not contain nicotine. People generally increase their dosages of this medication after three days and can take it for up to 12 weeks.

    Varenicline Tartrate

    • Varenicline tatrates, such as Chantex, are prescription medications that have recently been used as drugs for smoking cessation. Although the drugs do not contain nicotine, they act similarly to nicotine in the brain and help to stop cravings for it.

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