Smokers receive decreasing doses of nicotine from a patch that adheres to the body. A different patch is worn daily and is rotated to different parts of the body to prevent skin irritation. Generally involves a six-week program in which patches with decreasing amounts of nicotine are worn. The patch has to be worn faithfully. National studies place the overall effectiveness at 60 percent.
Smokers chew gum laced with nicotine to replace the substance found in cigarettes.
The gum is often offered as part of behavioral modification programs. From 10 to 12 pieces of the prescription gum are recommended per day, with a maximum of 30. Each piece is chewed for 30 minutes. Program lasts from three to six months. There have been complaints about the taste and texture of the gum, which some say is like cardboard.