cigarettes, gum, patch: Which stop-smoking methods are most effective?
With nicotine substitutes, effective delivery is paramount. Some smokers chew nicotine gum in an effort to quit, but instead of parking a slightly masticated piece between cheek and gum, they chomp the little squares like a wad of Bazooka. This sends most of the nicotine directly to the stomach, which doesn’t want it. “If you chew it like regular gum, it doesn’t work and it makes you sick,” says Sally Lerman, smoking-cessation counselor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Others get the urge to smoke while wearing a nicotine patch, and since they’ve heard the false story that smoking while using the patch will cause a heart attack, they tear off the patch and light up and they’re back to smoking, Lerman said. The lesson is that if you’re trying to quit, whether using an over-the-counter method or a prescribed medication, follow the directions and your chance of success will increase.
