How can one help the patient who becomes addicted to Nicotine Replacement Therapy?
NRT has a low abuse potential compared with the addictiveness of smoking or use of moist snuff products. Products such as the nicotine nasal spray have a higher propensity for continued use beyond the recommended time periods following cessation, and less than 10% do so — most smokers who are in the process of cessation use NRT for much shorter intervals than recommended. The use of NRT among nonsmokers is almost unknown. NRT is not associated with longterm health risks. Patients who continue to use NRT for long periods of time after cessation can be weaned from the products, or may stop them “cold turkey” but must not resume cigarettes (even one), as relapse to former levels of smoking is likely.
