Smoking cessation

What will (and won't) help you quit smoking for good

Finding the right quit aid for you doesn’t have to be complicated.


LearnQuit smokingWhat will (and won't) help you quit smoking for good
Why quitting is so difficult
Watch out for these withdrawal symptoms
Your quit aid options
Choosing the right NRT
Figure out your NRT dosage
Options for non-nicotine quit AIDS
The truth about e-cigarettes

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Everyone knows it’s a challenge to quit smoking. Nicotine, one of the main chemical components in tobacco, is highly addictive. The key to saying farewell to your cigarettes for good is to break that dependence.

Luckily there is no reason to quit cold turkey when there are several different smoking cessation aids available. Here is everything you need to know to choose the right quit aid for you.

Sources: Tega Y, Yamazaki Y, Akanuma SI, Kubo Y, ... + 20
  1. Tega Y, Yamazaki Y, Akanuma SI, Kubo Y, Hosoya KI. Impact of Nicotine Transport across the Blood-Brain Barrier: Carrier-Mediated Transport of Nicotine and Interaction with Central Nervous System Drugs. Biol Pharm Bull. 2018;41(9):1330-1336.
  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Introducing the Human Brain. July 2020.
  3. Smokefree.gov. Managing Withdrawal. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  4. Smokefree.gov. Understanding Withdrawal. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  5. National Cancer Institite. How To Handle Withdrawal Symptoms and Triggers When You Decide To Quit Smoking. October 29, 2010.
  6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General – Key Findings. January 23, 2020.
  7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Want to Quit Smoking? FDA-Approved Products Can Help. December 17, 2017.
  8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Smoking: Medicines to Help You Quit. 2017. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  9. Smokefree.gov. Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  10. Smokefree.gov. Medications Can Help You Quit. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  11. American Cancer Society. Nicotine Replacement Therapy to Help You Quit Tobacco. October 10, 2020.
  12. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Nicotine Gum. March 17, 2021.
  13. Nicorette.com. Nicotine Gum Dosing – Using Nicorette® Gum. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  14. NicoDermCQ.com. Dosage and Steps. Accessed March 24, 2021.
  15. Mayo Clinic. Nicotine (Transdermal Route). February 1, 2021.
  16. The University of Michigan Health. Nicotine Inhaler. March 12, 2020.
  17. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Nicotine replacement therapy. February 26, 2021.
  18. American Cancer Society. Prescription Medicines to Help You Quit Tobacco. October 10, 2020.
  19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes). November 16, 2020.
  20. Yale Medicine. E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI). Accessed March 24, 2021.
  21. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products. November 27, 2020.
Written by Jameson Kowalczyk.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2024
Updated onOctober, 2026
Written by Jameson Kowalczyk.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2024
Updated onOctober, 2026
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