Smoking has been linked to a number of diseases and health problems. Due to the highly addictive nature of cigarettes, many people who wish to quit have difficulty. There are a number of smoking cessation products on the market. The best products to quit smoking include nicotine patches, nicotine gum/lozenge and ancillary items for stop-smoking programs, such as books, videos and audio tapes.
Nicotine Patch
The nicotine patch is one of the best products available to help people quit smoking. The patch comes in different strengths (dosages). A smoker who wishes to quit will begin using a stronger patch for a number of days and then gradually step down to a patch with lower amounts of nicotine as the program continues. After the individual has been on the lowest dose patch for several days, the final step is to have no patch. An article from the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that the nicotine patch is effective when combined with behavioral modification.
Gum and Lozenges
Another popular group of products are nicotine gum and lozenge. As with the patch, these products come in different strengths to be used in a step-down program similar to using the patch. An article published in November 9, 2009 by the National Institutes of Health, reported that by combining the nicotine patch with nicotine lozenges provided the best result of any quit-smoking treatment.
Stop Smoking Programs
There are a plethora of stop smoking programs available for those who wish to kick the habit. Programs are delivered in books, on videos, over the phone and in live presentations. In addition, there are a number of complementary medicine programs designed to help people quit, including acupuncture and hypnotherapy. The American Cancer Society published a guide to quitting smoking and recommends that although some individuals find success by using a program alone, the best results are achieved for most people when combining such programs with either the patch, gum lozenge or a combination.
