Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

NRT roughly doubles your chance of stopping smoking, and combining two forms roughly doubles it again. The most common reason it seems not to work is underdosing — people use one weak product occasionally and conclude nicotine replacement does not help them.

Combine, do not choose

The evidence is clear: use a patch for steady background nicotine, plus a fast-acting form — gum, lozenge, mouth spray or inhalator — for cravings as they hit. Using both is more effective than either alone, and it is safe.

Patch strength should match how much you smoked. If you smoked more than 10 a day, start on the highest patch. 16-hour patches suit people who get vivid dreams; 24-hour patches suit people who crave first thing in the morning.

Using it properly

Gum and lozenges: do not chew gum like ordinary chewing gum. Chew slowly until you taste it, then park it against your cheek, and repeat. Chewing hard releases nicotine too fast and causes hiccups, throat irritation and indigestion.

Avoid acidic drinks — coffee, fizzy drinks, fruit juice — for 15 minutes before and during use, as they reduce nicotine absorption from the mouth.

Patches: apply to clean, dry, hairless skin and rotate the site daily. Skin irritation is common and usually settles.

Use it for at least 8 to 12 weeks, then reduce. Stopping NRT too early is a common route back to smoking.

Getting help

People who use a stop smoking service alongside NRT are around three times more likely to quit than going it alone. Sandwell has a free local service, and we can point you to it — just ask.

NRT is far safer than smoking. It is suitable in pregnancy where behavioural support alone has not worked, and can be used with most heart conditions — including shortly after a heart attack, where quitting is urgent. Ask us if you are unsure.

Common effects: skin irritation from patches, mouth or throat irritation, hiccups, and vivid dreams with 24-hour patches — switch to 16-hour if those bother you.

Frequently asked questions