Cutting out nicotine is essential to quitting, Glover says. That's why he believes the nicotine-free cigarettes won't fulfill their claims. Luckily, a plethora of other aids have had good results, among them transdermal patches. They work by easing smokers' cravings for nicotine by releasing the chemical into the bloodstream through the skin. Novartis Consumer's Habitrol, Lederle's Prostep, McNeil Consumer's Nictrol Transdermal and SK Beecham's Nicoderm are very similar.
Smokers can stave off cravings for nicotine by wearing a series of patches over a period of weeks.
Each successive patch administers lower doses of nicotine, starting with a patch that has 21 milligrams of nicotine and typically tapering off to one with only seven milligrams. The patch has the advantage of being very easy to use. The downside is that it is a passive system that takes away smokers' active involvement in their own treatment, Glover points out. That's why some smokers may prefer an aid like Nicorette Gum, also produced by SK Beecham. It is intended to be used over a period of weeks, with the strength of the gum depending on how strong the person's craving is for nicotine.