First off, congratulations for making the decision to quit. Quitting is a difficult, but rewarding experience. Give yourself a pat on the back!

Everyone is different

There are many methods people can use to quit smoking. There is no single “correct” method. You should choose the methods that have the strongest appeal for you personally. Trust your instincts.

The more the better

The three basic types of smoking cessation aids are nicotine replacement, the drug Zyban, and social support.

Studies have shown that when people use more than one type of smoking cessation aid, their chances of quitting successfully increase. For example, more people will be able to quit successfully by using nicotine gum and going to a stop-smoking support group than by using nicotine gum without a group.

Nicotine replacement

There are many different harmful chemicals in cigarettes, but nicotine is the one that causes the addiction. The purpose of nicotine replacement therapy is to wean smokers off of nicotine slowly, by gradually lowering the dose. Because cigarettes contain so many bad chemicals besides the nicotine, using nicotine replacement is not as harmful for the body as smoking is.

Nicotine replacement therapy comes in different forms. The patch, gum, and lozenges are all available over the counter. An inhaler and nasal spray are available by prescription only.

It’s important, when using nicotine replacement, to follow the instructions that come with the product. Sometimes people will use the patch or chew nicotine gum for a week or two, and then they think they don’t need to use it any more, and they stop. That is a mistake! People who follow the directions and use the nicotine replacement for the recommended full twelve weeks have a better chance of staying successfully quit than people who stop using the product early.

Some people balk at buying nicotine replacements because they are expensive. But the best way to look at it is to compare the cost of the replacements to the cost of cigarettes. Think of how much money you will save if you stop smoking for the rest of your life! Not to mention how much money you could save on health care for smoking-related problems!