Nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, is a medicine that delivers nicotine through the skin or the lining of the mouth instead of through cigarette smoke. It eases the cravings and withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and restlessness, that come with stopping smoking, so you can focus on breaking the habit. NRT contains nicotine but none of the tar or carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke.

Choose by how you smoke and what you prefer. Patches suit people who smoke steadily through the day: you put one on in the morning and it releases nicotine for 24 hours. Gum and lozenges are taken when you feel an urge, which suits people whose smoking is tied to moments like coffee, driving or stress. Lozenges are the easier option if you wear dentures or have dental work, because there is no chewing.

Strength follows how much you smoke. For gum, 2mg is for people who smoke fewer than 20 cigarettes a day and 4mg for 20 or more. For lozenges, 1mg is for fewer than 20 a day and 2mg for 20 or more. For patches, people who smoke 20 or more a day start on Step 1 (21mg), and lighter smokers start on Step 2 (14mg). If you tried the lower strength and still struggled, the stronger one may suit you better.

Yes, if you have strong cravings or have relapsed using one form on its own. Habitrol's label allows a Step 1 patch combined with 2mg gum or 1mg lozenges, usually 5 to 6 pieces a day and no more than 12, for about 12 weeks before stepping down. The 4mg gum and 2mg lozenge are not used with patches. Combination therapy is not for 12 to 17 year olds, and people with heart disease should get advice first. Ask our pharmacists to help you set it up.

Most programs run for about three months. With patches you step down from Step 1 to Step 2 to Step 3 over 9 to 12 weeks. With gum or lozenges you use them as needed for around three months, then cut down gradually and stop when you are at 1 or 2 a day, usually within six months. Using NRT for longer than nine months should be on the advice of a healthcare professional.

Yes. Habitrol gum and lozenges are approved for a Reduce to Quit approach: you replace some cigarettes with a piece of gum or a lozenge and cut down over up to six months until you are ready to stop completely. They can also be used to get through times you cannot smoke, such as a flight or a long shift. If you have not cut down after six weeks, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist first. Stopping without medicine is preferred in pregnancy, but if NRT is needed the data sheets favour gum or lozenges over patches, and if a patch is used it should come off before bed. When breastfeeding, oral forms used just after a feed are preferred.

Yes. Quitline (0800 778 778) and local stop-smoking services offer free support and can supply subsidised nicotine replacement, and your doctor can also prescribe it. Habitrol is the funded NRT brand in New Zealand. Buying it here is the quick option if you want to start today, and our pharmacists are happy to talk you through it.

Most are mild and settle within the first weeks. Gum and lozenges can cause hiccups, a sore mouth or throat, jaw ache and an upset stomach, often from chewing or sucking too fast. Patches commonly cause redness or itching where they sit, which is why you move them to a new spot each day, and sleep changes or vivid dreams. Stop and seek advice if you have a fast or irregular heartbeat, or signs of too much nicotine such as nausea, dizziness or a headache.