Many people find it very difficult to stop smoking and find themselves trying and failing repeatedly to quit. Part of the problem is that cigarettes contain an extremely addictive chemical called nicotine. Nicotine stimulates your brain, and when your brain stops receiving nicotine, it begins craving it. One product that has been designed to make smoking cessation easier is nicotine gum, which is designed to replace the nicotine found in cigarettes, making it easier to stop smoking.
Step 1
Determine what kind of gum you want to use. Nicotine gum can be purchased over the counter in either 2 or 4 milligram doses. Heavy smokers (those who smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day) may want to start with the 4 milligram version.
Step 2
Decide if you want to chew the gum according to a "schedule" (i.e. one piece of gum every 1 to 2 hours), or if you simply want to chew the gum whenever you get the urge to smoke. This is a matter of personal preference.
Step 3
Chew the gum properly. To do this, chew one piece of gum gently until you feel a tingling sensation in your mouth. Then place the gum in between your cheek and your gums and hold it there until the tingling stops. When the tingling fades, begin chewing again and position the gum between your gums and cheek once the tingling begins again. Continue doing this for about 30 minutes.
Step 4
After 2 to 3 months of chewing nicotine gum, gradually decrease your consumption. For example, you can try chewing one less piece of gum every 4 to 7 days to wean yourself off of the nicotine.
