Introduction

This information is for people who want to stop smoking. It tells you about nicotine replacement therapy, a treatment used to help people stop smoking. It is based on the best and most up-to-date research.

Does it work?

Yes. If you smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, using nicotine replacement therapy can help you stop.^[63]

What is it?

Nicotine replacement therapy (sometimes called NRT) provides a supply of nicotine to your body. It gives you a smaller, short-term supply of the drug than your body is used to getting from cigarettes. Most people use it for the first three months after stopping smoking, although you can use it for as long as you need to.

NRT comes as patches, gum, inhalers, tablets that you put under your tongue, lozenges, and a nasal spray. You can buy products from your chemists or supermarket, but your doctor can also prescribe them to you (see How to get smoking cessation treatments on the NHS). You can use just one type of product, or any combination of products.

You may have seen 'nicotine lollipops' and 'nicotine lip balms' for sale on the internet. They haven't been tested to see whether they are safe and actually work.^[64]

To find out about the different products available and how to choose what's best for you, see How to use nicotine replacement therapy products.

It's best not to smoke while you're using NRT. But if you're not ready to stop completely, there are some NRT products that can help you cut down the number of cigarettes you smoke. These are Nicorette 2mg gum, Nicorette 4mg gum, the Nicorette inhaler, and NiQuitin Pre-Quit lozenges.^[65][66]

These are the only products designed to be used while you are cutting down. You should not use any other NRT products while you are smoking. This is because getting too much nicotine can make you feel dizzy, make your pulse race, and your heart pound.

Doctors agree that it's better to use a NRT product than to keep on smoking.^[18] Almost everyone can use these products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority, the government body that checks the safety of drugs in the UK, says anyone over the age of 12 can use NRT, even pregnant women. But some people need to see a doctor before they start using NRT. For more information, see Who can use nicotine replacement therapy?

How can it help?

If you smoke at least 10 cigarettes a day, NRT increases the chances that you'll stop.^[63]

• About 17 out of 100 people who use NRT stop smoking for at least 12 months, compared with 10 out of 100 people who take a dummy drug (a placebo).

• The bad news is that many people who give up start smoking again. In one study, people used NRT to stop and didn't smoke for at least six weeks. But 3 out of 4 people started smoking again.^[74]

• So although NRT can help you stop, it may not help you give up cigarettes forever.^[74][75] In one study, 9 out of 100 people managed to stop for one year, but only 5 out of 100 people were still not smoking eight years after stopping.^[76]