Ways to Stop Smoking

Woman laughing outdoors

Quitting smoking is one of the most incredible things that can help to transform your life. It can help you become fitter and healthier, as well as saving you money that you can use for other things.

You might need more than willpower to give up. Combining your motivation to quit with stop smoking treatments can help to provide the support you need to stop smoking for good.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can offer that extra help to keep you on the right track.

It works by reducing your cravings and helping keep nicotine withdrawal symptoms at bay, without the nasty chemicals you find in cigarettes.

You can get several forms of NRT over the counter without the need for a prescription. These include:

  • Mouthspray
  • Gum
  • Lozenges
  • Patches
  • Inhalators
  • Nasal Spray
  • Microtabs

Learn more about the different types of NRT products to find the right one for you.

What Nicorette products are available and how do they work?

Bag containing Nicorette Microtabs, Nicorette Inhalator and Nicorette Invisipatch products

NRT products, such as nicotine patches, generally work in the same way. They give you a smaller amount of nicotine than is found in cigarettes, without any of the toxic chemicals as well.

Nicorette patches provide a sustained level of background nicotine for discreet control of cravings during waking hours. You can remove nicotine patches at night to try and avoid sleep disturbances.

If you smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, you could try the Nicorette 25mg Invisipatch to help start your quit journey, when you need the most support early on. It works to help you keep focused on stopping smoking without getting distracted by cravings and other withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine patches, for example, are worn all day but can be supplemented by a mouthspray to try and relieve cravings while you’re on the go. With Nicorette Dual Support (patch + flexible NRT product) you’re able to maximise your chances of quitting smoking for good.

Patches

When you think of ways to stop smoking, nicotine patches could be one of the first things to come to mind.

Small, transparent patches that you wear on your skin like a plaster, patches have been helping people to quit smoking with NRT for decades.

Patches contain different amounts of nicotine, measured in milligrams. The strength you go for will depend on how many cigarettes you smoke. For example :

  • Start with the Nicorette 25mg patch if you smoke 10 or more cigarettes a day.
  • Begin with the Nicorette 15mg patch when you smoke less than 10 cigarettes a day.
  • Continue with a Nicorette 10mg patch after completing the 15mg patch use.

How to use it
Nicotine patches are worn all day and removed at night before you go to bed. They should be worn on your front or side of the chest, upper arm or hip on a clean, hairless patch of skin.

Once you put it on, the nicotine in the patch is absorbed by your skin.

Get started with Nicorette® InvisiPatch to quit smoking for good. One patch can help to reduce the urge to smoke all day (16 hours) and you can choose the right strength to suit the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.

Mouthspray

Nicorette Quickmist on a desk

The Nicorette mouthspray can start to provide craving relief in as little as 30 seconds. Health experts from the NHS say the best way to use NRT is to combine a patch with a fast acting formulation, such as a spray or gum, for complete craving control.

Sprays can be easy to use. Nicorette QuickMist SmartTrack mouthspray connects wirelessly to an app on your phone – it’s a great way to help you record usage and stay motivated.

Download the Nicorette Stop Smoking app on the App Store or Google Play to get started.

How to use it
Mouthspray is easy to use. The NRT is inside a canister dispenser and when you feel a craving coming on you simply spray it once or twice inside your mouth, either into the cheek or under the tongue – depending on the product instructions.

Nicorette QuickMist SmartTrack starts to relieve cravings in 30 seconds. Just take care to avoid your lips and inside your throat for the best results and don’t exceed more than 1-2 sprays into your mouth per hour and 64 sprays a day.

Get started with Nicorette® QuickMist SmartTrack to quit smoking for good. The world’s 1st connected stop smoking spray, it combines an NRT mouthspray with a smartphone app to help you stay motivated as well as relieving your cravings.

Gum

Gum is another type of fast acting NRT product that you can use alongside patches to provide relief when you get a craving.

Gum is ideal for tackling those cravings that come on when you need quick relief, such as while you’re on the bus to work. There are two strengths of gum to suit different smoking habits, which are designed to be reduced over time .

  • More than 25 cigarettes a day – Start with 4mg gum
  • Less than 25 cigarettes a day – Begin with 2mg gum

How to use it
Chew a piece of the gum every time you feel a cigarette craving coming on. Chew slowly until you get a strong taste – this is the nicotine being released from the gum.

Use your tongue to rest the gum between your gum and cheek. When the taste has faded, start to slowly chew the Nicorette gum again. Keep chewing and resting following this pattern for half an hour. Rest until the taste is gone, then begin chewing again . Repeat chewing the gum and resting for up to 30 minutes.

Get started with Nicorette® Gum to quit smoking for good. Available in 4 flavours, chew up to 15 pieces a day of 2mg and 4mg strength gum, depending on how many cigarettes you smoke.

Lozenge

Lozenges can be used in combination with patches as Nicorette dual support helps to maximise your chances of quitting for good. Like gum, they’re a good place to start if you’re new to trying NRT as they come in different strengths depending on how many cigarettes you usually smoke each day. For example:

  • Start with the 2mg lozenge if you smoke 20 cigarettes or fewer a day.
  • Try the 4mg lozenge when you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.

How to use it
Lozenges look a lot like a regular cough sweet and come in a small plastic case. Put 1 lozenge in your mouth and move the lozenge from one side of the mouth to the other. Repeat until the lozenge is completely dissolved. You shouldn’t chew or swallow the lozenge.

Get started with Nicorette® Lozenges. You can have as many as 15 lozenges per day. Choose between 2mg and 4mg strengths. Nicorette Fruit Lozenge and Nicorette Cools Lozenge both come in 2mg, with Nicorette Cools Lozenge also coming in 4mg. It means you can choose the right strength based on how much you smoke and from two flavours – Icy Mint and Fruit.

Microtab

If you like the idea of a lozenge or gum, but don’t want people to see you chewing or moving the tablet around your mouth, the Microtab could be a good option. It’s ideal for smokers who want flexible but discreet control of their cravings wherever or whenever needed.

How to use it
Microtabs come in boxes of 100. You simply take out a tablet when you get a craving, place it underneath your tongue and let it dissolve slowly. Don’t chew the tablet or swallow it. You can use up to 2 per hour.

If this sounds like the right NRT product for you, get started with Nicorette® Microtab.

Inhalator

Nicorette Inhalator pack

It’s the nicotine in cigarettes that makes them addictive , but having one in your hand can also be a habit that’s tricky to break.

If you prefer the feel of holding a cigarette and keeping your hands busy, an inhalator may be a good option. It’s tube-shaped to replicate the hand-to-mouth feel of smoking. You can also use it on buses and trains .

How to use it
Inhalators come in packs of 4 or 20. The NRT is contained in a cartridge that you attach to a mouthpiece. You bring the mouthpiece to your lips and inhale the nicotine.

You can get around 40 minutes’ intense use from each cartridge. Once empty, simply replace it with another. Each cartridge contains 15mg, and it’s recommended you use no more than 6 per day.

Get started on your quit journey with Nicorette® Inhalator. If you miss the feel of a cigarette in your hand then it could be the perfect NRT product for you.

Nasal Spray

NRT nasal sprays aim to deliver fast relief when you feel a craving coming on.

How to use it
Like other types of nasal spray, you place the spray tip inside one of your nostrils. Ensure your head is back slightly, then firmly press the nozzle.

Spray twice in each nostril every hour . Get started with Nicorette® Nasal Spray.

Begin your journey to a smoke-free future with Nicorette

One of the myths around quitting smoking is that using willpower alone is the most effective way to stop.
In fact, only 4-7% of people who quit are able to do it using just their willpower. Using a Nicotine Replacement Therapy product can double your chances of quitting compared to using willpower alone .

There’s lots of help and support out there – you don’t need to do this on your own!

Start your quit journey today by combining your willpower with one of our NRT products. We understand what it takes to quit smoking, and we’ll be with you every step of the way. For more support and advice along your quit journey, sign up to the Nicorette Stop Smoking Support Plan.

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