Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) helps to relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms people experience when they quit smoking. There are four medications to help you quit smoking:

• Bupropion SR - antidepressant that assists in relieving withdrawal symptoms; most effective when used in combination with a supervised stop-smoking program. It is available via prescription.

• Nicotine gum - chewable gum; most effective when used in combination with a supervised stop-smoking program. It is over-the-counter drug.

• Nicotine nasal spray - nasal spray; most effective when used in combination with a supervised stop-smoking program. It is available via prescription.

• Nicotine patch - skin patch; most effective when used in combination with a supervised stop-smoking program. It is available via prescription and over-the-counter.

NRT is intended for short-term use. This therapy allows you to focus on the psychological aspects of quitting. That method is used to help you quit smoking and combined with other smoking interruption methods that address the psychological factors of smoking.

  The basic steps to quitting include:
• Set a quit date.
  • Accept the fact that you need to quit.
• Make a plan for the desirable challenges after quitting.
• Inform your family, friends, and workmatethat you plan to quit.
• Talk to your doctor or health professional to help develop a plan.
• Ask others who have quit how they handled withdrawal symptoms – both psychological and physical.
• Throw away cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car and work.
• If you’ve tried quitting before, identify what did and didn’t work for you.  Build on your strengths and discover new techniques.