Nicotine Replacement Therapy and How to Quit Smoking

I've been quitting smoking for five years. From my informal study of ex-smokers, I am taking a little bit longer than average. Almost without fail, ex-smokers tell me stories about how they quit smoking cold turkey and were fine within a few days. I usually smile, nod, and murmur about how strong and amazing they are to have given up cigarettes with no outside help. Even current smokers, the ones that have never tried to quit anyway, claim they knowhow to quit smoking (when they are good and ready to quit). They plan to put their last cigarette out and not look back.

Let me get this out of the way: I have no willpower. None. When I stumble and fail at my quest to give up cigarettes, it is not something I am ashamed of or try to hide. I am not a closet smoker. The fact I've used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help me quit is not an embarrassment to me. I will concede that being able to quit without help should be a point of pride for people, but not to the point where they can't admit that it didn't work for them. Besides, an even bigger accomplishment would have been not to be so silly as to start such a ridiculous habit in the first place.

But for those of us who were stupid enough to start, but unable to endure the nic-fits and moodiness without help, there is NRT. Until they invent time machines that will allow us to go back and have a good "sit-down" talk with our teenage selves (which our teenage selves will probably ignore), I will continue to recommend NRT for anyone whose willpower falls somewhere in the range between mine (non-existent) and those people who are always on about never feeling as much as a twinge of a craving after smoking for 15 years (super-human or liars). For us mere, weak mortals, NRT is how to quit smoking.

There are several products on the market, and not all of them are brand names. However, there are products without nicotine that also are marketed as stop smoking aids (patches, gums, inhalers). I cannot vouch for their effectiveness. I personally won't waste my money on them. If you want to use NRT, please make sure you are buying NRT and not herbs or other compounds.

NRT works by supplying the addictive ingredient in cigarettes and other tobacco products without the other chemicals that compound the health risk. Nicotine in itself does have some side effects and risks, so you should consult with your doctor and read the information supplied with the medicine. Generally, you start out with a quit date and start using the NRT after your last cigarette. For a couple months you will use the NRT, and then you usually wean yourself off either by decreasing the frequency of use (as with the gum and lozenge) or decreasing the dose (as with the patch).

I have experience with gum, patches, and lozenges. I have not tried the inhaler. Some people have more success with one over the other, so if one isn't working for you, you might want to switch products.

All NRT comes with detailed instructions, and usually there is a helpline you can call for questions on how to quit smoking with NRT and support. Often, starter packs will include a CD or tape to help keep you motivated to quit as well as literature full of tips and encouragement.

Over the course of my journey to quit smoking, I have used the gum more than anything else. For me, the flavoured ones are a lot better than the unflavoured one with the newer "fresh" flavours being quite tasty. The only real problems I had with the gum was timing (you can't use it soon after eating or drinking) and disposal. You really need to be careful that pets and kids can't find your gum after you're done with it.

Why has it taken me so long to quit? Well, I haven't actually been on NRT for 5 years. In fact, for most of that period I wasn't chewing the gum, but either actively smoking or managing to live without nicotine. But there's usually something that brings me back to the old habit. Either I get really nostalgic for my youth, a huge stressor comes into my life, or I decide that I just can't take the cravings any more and give in. Most people stop having nicotine cravings after a few weeks away from it. For some reason I get them even years after the fact.

But for the most part, I have done well the past 5 years. I've spent most days smoke free. Since November, I've smoked less than a pack of cigarettes. I am off NRT, and trying to transition to being a non-smoker. Yet, the fact that I refuse to give up trying to quit has a lot to do with NRT. It makes it easier for me to try to give up smoking once again. It's helped me be a little less weak willed so my natural stubbornness can ensure that I keep trying at this quitting thing.

Do all the things the experts tell you. Come up with a distraction activity. Get rid of your old smoking paraphernalia. Tell everyone that you're quitting. Consider hypnosis or acupuncture. Find something else to do with your mouth. Realise that cravings are temporary (I am still working on that one). But consider NRT before you consider giving up on quitting.