If you have tried and tried to give up smoking but your willpower just isn't strong enough, then maybe you should look to trying to quit again, but this time with the aid of a nicotine replacement therapy product.

These products are available in several different forms and can be obtained on prescription from your local doctor or over the counter at the chemist.

One of the main reasons that most smokers fail to give up smoking, even after many attempts, is due to the fact that they cannot cope with the severe withdrawal symptoms and the cravings to smoke. Nicotine not only takes control of the brain but it also controls the smoker's body.

Nicotine replacement therapies deliver nicotine to the body in small and safe doses, giving just the right amount in order to help reduce the cravings and withdrawal symptoms whilst the smoker is trying to give up.

The levels of nicotine are much lower and less concentrated than the amount found in cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapy products do not contain any of the harmful chemicals and toxins that cigarettes contain, and therefore do not cause cancer or any other smoking-related diseases. As the physical withdrawal symptoms are being dealt with, with the aid of the nicotine replacement therapy product, this will enable the smoker to concentrate on breaking his behavioural addiction to nicotine. For the best chance of success in giving up smoking, you must look at not only overcoming the physical withdrawal symptoms but also the situations that trigger the desire to smoke.
Even though smokers are physically addicted to nicotine and when they stop smoking they suffer physical withdrawal symptoms, they usually get cravings to smoke when they find themselves in certain situations that they have always associated with smoking. These situations are habitual and the brain automatically alerts the smoker that it is time to smoke a cigarette at these times. For the majority of smokers these situations are very similar and may include: after a meal, on the way to work, after work, during a break, when driving, after sex, whilst drinking coffee and reading the paper or whilst out socialising in a smoky atmosphere. If smokers associate with other smokers, they also tend to smoke when the other person smokes as well. Whilst the smoker is trying to give up smoking, he should concentrate on avoiding the situations and people where he is most likely to smoke and try to fill the smoking time with another activity. Dealing with the behavioural side of smoking is just as vital as dealing with the physical withdrawal symptoms. Dealing with the situations that trigger a need to smoke is made easier with the aid of an NRT, as the smoker does not also have to battle with the physical withdrawal symptoms from not smoking a cigarette. The smoker should not smoke cigarettes at the same time as using a nicotine replacement therapy product, as this could be extremely dangerous and lead to too much nicotine in the body and possibly a nicotine overdose. Only one product should be used at a time, for the same reasons. Studies have shown that smokers who use a nicotine replacement therapy as an aid to stop smoking double their chance of stopping for good. This means that out of every ten people who try this method, five of them will be smoke-free a year later. When using one of these products, it is advisable to consult your doctor beforehand, as there are safety issues concerning some of the nicotine replacement therapies and pregnant women or people with specific health conditions should not be recommended to use them. These aids are also more effective when coupled with counselling, professional support and support at home and research has shown this to be true after carrying out various studies and investigations into the success rate of NRT's. As these products administer nicotine to the body, the withdrawal symptoms are very slight, if at all, and this may help the smoker as he gets accustomed to not smoking and becoming a non-smoker. A course of nicotine replacement therapy should be taken for around three months and should never exceed six months. People should start on a product with a higher dose and then gradually wean themselves onto products with lower doses until they are ready to come off them completely. For the best results, it is important to follow the course for the whole recommended time of 12 weeks. Nicotine replacement therapy products are now widely available in different forms such as gum, patches, nasal spray, inhalers, lozenges and microtabs and some of the products come in a choice of flavours, making them more pleasant to take. Health activists are now calling on their Governments to make these products available free of charge on prescription from their doctor, in order to help people stop smoking and refrain from damaging their health any longer.
Nicotine replacement therapy products were first available on prescription in the form of nicotine gum in 1984 and over the counter in 1986. Gradually over the years, other products have been developed to suit the needs of different people. The nicotine patch was introduced in 1991, the nasal spray in 1996 and the inhaler in 1998. All products are more or less the same in terms of effectiveness and it is usually just a matter of choice and preference as to which product you decide to use. If using a nicotine replacement therapy product appeals to you, read on to find out which product most suits your needs and tastes.