Many smokers struggle to quit without any support, and nicotine replacement therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on an individual’s success rate.

NRT contains nicotine which helps to prevent cravings and reduce the urge to smoke. There are different forms of NRT available and its success lies in being able to find the best form or combination of products to meet an individual’s needs.

The biggest problem with NRT is that most smokers do not use enough of it or for long enough. Combining a faster acting NRT product with the nicotine patch has proved that people will stick to it long-term and works better than using just one form of NRT.

For example a combination of nicotine patch (to help with background 'nicotine hunger') and a faster acting product such as gum, spray, or lozenge (to help deal with 'breakthrough urges to smoke') should be considered with the standard treatment.

The next page will discuss a variety of NRT products and the benefits and disadvantages of their use.