Allergy Update
by P.K. Raghuprasad, M.D.

Smoking Cessation

Nicotine addiction is one of the strongest addictions and the hardest to break.  It ranks equal to cocaine and the narcotics.  It should come as no surprise that cigarette smokers are constantly "quitting" but rarely succeed.  It also explains why there are so many remedies on the market and most of these succeed only in getting rid of some of your money.  The only scientifically proven remedy is nicotine replacement by a nicotine chewing gum ("Nicorette"), nicotine inhaler or nicotine patches.  Nicorette gum is chewed when the subject has the urge.  In course of time the subjects lose the habit of smoking.  The nicotine patch is applied once a day and a constant amount of nicotine leaches into the blood throughout the skin and this satisfies the addiction.   The wearer can thus forget about cigarettes for the whole day and does not need constant replenishment with the chewing gum.