What is nicotine replacement therapy?
Q: What is nicotine replacement therapy?
A: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a way to reduce the dependency symptoms of quitting smoking by delivering nicotine or a similar substance in other ways, such as patches and chewing gums.
Q: How does NRT deliver nicotine to the smoker's brain?
A: NRT delivers nicotine to the smoker's brain in a much slower way than cigarettes do, helping to damp down the urges to smoke that most smokers have in the early days and weeks after quitting.
Q: What substances are responsible for deaths from cigarettes?
A: Cigarettes are responsible for the deaths of about 5 million people each year due to other substances in tobacco smoke such as carbon monoxide and tars, not just from nicotine.
Q: Is NRT effective at helping people quit smoking?
A: Findings from a recent Cochrane review indicated that smokers using NRT were 1.5-2 times more likely to be abstinent from smoking at followup than those in placebo or control treatment conditions.
Q: Who should use NRT when trying to quit smoking?
A: The Committee on Safety of Medicines recommended that pregnant smokers and adolescent smokers use NRT when trying to quit smoking.
Q: Does using NRT alone guarantee success when quitting smoking?
A: No, using NRT alone does not guarantee success when quitting smoking; it is best used with some form of support, ideally from someone who knows something about cessation.
