Which stop smoking aid should I use?

Although some smokers try to quit with willpower alone, it isn’t the most effective method.

There are several types of stop smoking aid, and if you want to give up for good, you’re up to three times more likely to be successful if you use at least two types of treatment.

Stop smoking aids fall into three categories. We’ve given you a brief overview below, but talking through your options with one of our pharmacists can help you decide which method of quitting is best for you. The NHS also has a tool to help you build your personal quit plan.

Nicotine replacement therapy products

The most common aid to quit smoking, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products reduce your urge to smoke by releasing nicotine into your body, so you crave it less from cigarettes. Although this may feel like replacing one bad thing with another, nicotine itself is actually relatively harmless; most of the danger of cigarettes comes from the other chemicals inside.

There are two kinds of NRT products; slow release and fast acting. A slow release patch can either be worn around the clock or just during waking hours, and releases nicotine throughout the day. Fast acting products like a nicotine inhaler, gum, nasal spray, lozenge or tablet give you a fast burst of nicotine as a quick fix. It’s recommended that you try using a combination of these two to manage cravings effectively.

A stop smoking advisor, such as a pharmacist, can offer guidance on what strength product you should start with, which you’ll slowly reduce over the course of several weeks. NRT products are typically used for about 12 weeks, or as long as you need to know you won’t smoke again.

12 weeks is the recommended time frame for using stop smoking treatments, as that should be long enough for your body to stop craving nicotine - but everyone is different.

Prescription products

It’s less commonly known that you can be prescribed tablets to help you quit smoking. Instead of releasing nicotine, these make the idea of smoking less tempting, reducing the craving you get for a cigarette. Also, if you do smoke, these tablets reduce the pleasurable release of smoking.

You start taking these tablets several weeks before your intended quit date, to reduce your enjoyment of smoking, and for up to 12 weeks in total, depending on the brand. However, these tablets aren’t suitable for everyone, including under 18s, pregnant women and some people with long term health conditions.

E-cigarettes

Although they aren’t completely harm free, e-cigarettes are significantly less dangerous than smoking. You’ll still inhale nicotine, but without the toxic chemicals of cigarettes.