For some people, it is best to wait and gather some time in recovery. For others, a quit attempt while in treatment is very reasonable and very healthy. In either case, we believe that people should be equipped with the greatest amount of information and support on which to base their decision. This is done in lectures with adjunctive films, individual sessions, our nicotine awareness group, and in small group therapy discussions. If a person decides to quit, then we address the addiction on a number of different fronts.
Pharmacological intervention can take the form of nicotine replacement or bupropion or both.
Nicotine replacement is available as a patch, gum or nasal or oral inhaler. There are pros and cons to each of the forms of nicotine replacement and each person's smoking history and pattern is evaluated for which replacement form is best. Nicotine replacement tends to address all nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Bupropion, an oral drug is the only medication other than nicotine replacement that is approved for the treatment of nicotine withdrawal. Bupropion targets specifically nicotine craving.