Nicotine replacement therapy

Effectiveness

Evaluation of NRT in real-world studies produces more modest outcomes than efficacy studies conducted by industry-funded trials. The National Health Service (NHS) in England has a smoking cessation service based on pharmacotherapy in combination with counseling support. An Action on Smoking and Health (UK) (ASH) report claims that the average cost per life-year gained for every smoker successfully treated by these services is less than £1,000 (below the NICE guidelines of £20,000 per QALY (quality-adjusted life year). However, the investment in NHS stop smoking services is relatively low. A comparison with treatment costs for illicit drug users shows that £585 million is committed for 350,000 problem drug users compared to £56 million for 9 million users of tobacco. This is £6.20 for each smoker, compared to £1,670 per illegal drug user.[22]

The claims for high efficacy and cost-effectiveness of NRT have not been substantiated in real-world effectiveness studies.[23][24][25] Pierce and Gilpin (2002) stated their conclusion as follows: "Since becoming available over the counter, NRT appears no longer effective in increasing long-term successful cessation" (p. 1260).[25] Efficacy studies, which are conducted using randomized controlled trials, do not transfer very well to real-world effectiveness. Bauld, Bell, McCullough, Richardson and Greaves (2009) reviewed 20 studies on the effectiveness of intensive NHS treatments for smoking cessation published between 1990 and 2007.[26] Quit rates showed a dramatic decrease between 4-weeks and one year. A quit rate of 53% at four weeks fell to only 15% at one year. Younger smokers, females, pregnant smokers and more deprived smokers had lower quit rates than other groups.

The efficacy for each of the formulations alone (lozenges, nasal spray, gum, and transdermal patch) to aid in smoking cessation is equal.[27] Efficacy increases 15% to 36% with combining treatments such as gum and lozenges. Higher doses increase the chance of stopping smoking for a period of six months and more. For patches, the most efficient doses were 25 mg worn over 16 hours or 21 mg worn over 24 hours. The evidence suggests that 4 mg nicotine gum leads to higher quit rates compared with 2 mg in heavy smokers.[28] Prescription nicotine replacement therapy is associated with higher odds of quit success, whereas over-the-counter NRT was not associated with higher quit success.[29][30]

Pregnancy

Nicotine is not safe to use in any amount during pregnancy.[40] Nicotine crosses the placenta and is found in the breast milk of mothers who smoke as well as mothers who inhale passive smoke.[41] There are possible harms to the baby if NRT is used during pregnancy.[8][11] Thus, pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding should also consult a physician before initiating NRT. The gum, lozenge, and nasal spray are pregnancy category C. The transdermal patch is pregnancy category D. The transdermal patch is considered less safe for the fetus because it delivers continuous nicotine exposure, as opposed to the gum or lozenge, which delivers intermittent and thus lower nicotine exposure.

Strong evidence suggests that nicotine cannot be regarded as a safe substance of cigarette use. Nicotine itself could be at least partly responsible for many of the adverse after birth health results related to cigarette use while the mother was pregnant.[42] There is evidence that nicotine negatively affects fetal brain development and pregnancy outcomes.[43] There is also risk of stillbirth and pre-term birth.[44] Nicotine use will probably harm fetal neurological development.[45] Risks to the child later in life from nicotine exposure during pregnancy include type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, neurobehavioral defects, respiratory dysfunction, and infertility.[34] Nicotine exposure during pregnancy can result in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities in the child. It also puts the child at increased risk for nicotine addiction in the future.[42]

Pregnant women should consider behavioral therapy before NRT is considered.[8]

Youth

In people under the age of eighteen, a physician is often consulted before starting NRT. The evidence suggests that exposure to nicotine between the ages of 10 and 25 years causes lasting harm to the brain and cognitive ability.[46] Evidence is unclear whether adolescents gain benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy or smoking cessation over the long-term as of 2017.[47] Most tobacco users are under-eighteens when they start, and almost no-one over the age of 25 starts using.[48] In 2025, the efficacy of NRT in adolescents was still unclear.[49][50]

Cardiovascular conditions

While there is no evidence that NRT can increase the risk of heart attacks,[7] individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions or recent heart attacks should consult a physician before initiating NRT.[51]

Other conditions

Nicotine replacement therapies should be used cautiously in individuals with the following conditions: severe reactive airway diseases (for nasal spray), chronic nasal disorders such as sinusitis, polyps, rhinitis, or allergy (for nasal spray), diabetes (insulin-dependent), gastrointestinal diseases such as esophagitis, active gastric or peptic ulcer disease, liver problems, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, phenylketonuria (for lozenges), renal problems, and skin conditions such as psoriasis or dermatitis (for the transdermal patch).[52]

Formulations

The nicotine patch is a once-daily, longer-acting form of NRT. An advantage of the nicotine patch is its simple compliance; it does not require active use throughout the day.[53] The gum, lozenge, sublingual tablet, oral inhaler, oral spray, and nasal spray are acutely dosed products, providing the user with the benefit and ability of self-titrating based on cravings.[53]

Brand names include Commit Lozenge, Nicoderm, Nicogum, Nicosure, Nicorette, Nicotex, Nicotinell, and Thrive. NRT products contain similar pharmaceutical grade nicotine as is used in some e-cigarettes.[63]

Medicines

In 2015, the United States Public Health Service listed seven agents for the stopping of tobacco, which included five nicotine replacement treatments (nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays) and two oral medications (bupropion and varenicline). Other NRT options are available, including nicotine mouth sprays and sublingual tablets.[64]

Dosing

The dose of nicotine replacement therapy products is generally based on if the user is considered a heavy, average, or light smoker.[20] A cigarette delivers an average of 1 mg to 3 mg of the nicotine contained in it. NRT products typically aim to parallel this, but the amount of nicotine absorbed by the user is less than the original dose.

Nicotine nasal sprays are formulated in doses of lowest strength, available in 0.5 mg and 1 mg strengths.

Nicotine lozenges deliver doses as low as 1 mg up to 4 mg. It is not chewed as the gum would be, and dissolves in approximately 30 minutes.[53] This formulation may be preferred by those individuals who do not find gum chewing to be acceptable.

Nicotine gum is available in doses of 2 mg and 4 mg. Using 4 mg nicotine gum versus 2 mg gum increases the likelihood of successful smoking cessation.[28] When using the gum, acidic beverages like soda, coffee, or beer should be avoided fifteen minutes prior and during use because they can impede proper absorption of nicotine.[53]

Nicotine inhalers come in 10 mg and 15 mg cartridge strengths and typically deliver around 4 mg in one dose.[65] The inhaler may be preferred in individuals who want to satisfy the hand-to-mouth ritual that smoking provides.[53]

Transdermal patches deliver between 5 mg and 52.5 mg of nicotine, which results in plasma levels similar to that of heavy smokers. Combining nicotine patch treatment with a faster nicotine-delivery means, like nicotine gum or spray, improves the likelihood of successful treatment.[28][7]

Not approved as NRTs

Some smokeless consumer products available can function as alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS)[66] but they have not received FDA approval as smoking-cessation therapy aids that are safe and effective.

Snus and nasal snuff also allow for nicotine administration outside of tobacco smoking.[67] Nicotine pouches are described as similar to or a tobacco-free variant of snus. They are pre-portioned and are held in the user's lip or cheek allowing for sublingual or buccal delivery of flavors and high doses of nicotine. The small pouches are not like chewing tobacco, as the user does not need to spit since the contents of the pouches stay inside during use. Swedish pouches have been available on the American consumer market since at least 2016[68] but their popularity and controversy surged in 2019 and 2020. In the US and UK concerns have been raised that nicotine pouches are seemingly too similar to banned snus products, is aimed at teenagers, further complicating the youth vaping trend,[69] falling into the hands of adolescents easily, and are discrete enough to easily pass for regular gums or lozenges.[70][71]

Nicotine infused toothpicks are another product that has been available in the United States since at least 2013. They can have a total nicotine delivery that is comparable to that of nicotine gum.[57] Nicotine toothpicks generally are infused with food-grade flavorings and 1–3 mg of nicotine, which is similar to that of other oral-delivery nicotine products and some cigarettes.[72] In spite of these similarities, as of 2018 they have been a subject of controversy. Online retailers have been under scrutiny for allowing their products to be too easily purchased by youth.[73][74][75] Various news outlets and school districts have expressed the concern that these products have a high appeal to minors wanting to experiment with nicotine due to; the multitude of sweet flavors offered, ease & speed of use, seeming innocuous, and having a discreet nature.[76][77][78] In 2015, NRT sales fell for the first time since 2008 while sales for e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) continued to increase at a substantial rate. The evidence is that UK smokers are trying to quit with e-cigarettes rather than NRT methods.[79]

E-cigarettes are often, although not always, designed to look and feel like cigarettes. They have been marketed as less harmful alternatives to cigarettes,[80] but very few are as yet approved as NRTs in any jurisdiction. Some electronic cigarettes have coarsely adjustable nicotine levels. Some healthcare groups have hesitated to recommend e-cigarettes for quitting smoking, because of limited evidence of effectiveness and safety.[81] A 2014 study concluded that e-cigarettes appear to help smokers who were unable to stop smoking altogether to reduce their cigarette consumption when compared with placebo e-cigarettes and nicotine patches.[81] A 2024 study concluded that the using e-cigarettes and smoking-cessation counseling resulted in greater abstinence from smoking tobacco than smoking-cessation counseling alone.[82] Several studies have shown e-cigarettes to be the more effective tobacco smoking cessation tool in comparison to NRTs.[83][84]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of additional tobacco products they are seeking to regulate, including electronic cigarettes.[85] Most approved NRT products have been approved for over 20 years,[86] however the FDA has also approved nicotine inhalers as a form of NRT.[87][88] In 2024, the FDA cleared an investigational new drug (IND) application for a fast-acting inhalable NRT, which delivers nicotine without combustion or heating.[89] 2025, the inhaler was successful in a first clinical trial,[90][91] aiming to get approved by the FDA as the first smoking cessation drug since 2006.[92]

Future approaches of NRT could include nicotine preloading, a true pulmonary inhaler, and nicotine vaccines.[7] Nicotine preloading, otherwise known as pre-cessation or pre-quitting NRT, has found that using the patch for a few weeks before the quit date produces significantly higher quit rates than if it was started on the quit day.[7] The true pulmonary inhaler would deliver nicotine to the lungs in a manner that more resembles cigarette smoking, which would provide better relief of background cravings as well as acute cravings.[7] Nicotine vaccines are under investigation as a method to treat tobacco dependence through priming the body to mount an immune response against nicotine.[7]