It’s not hard to see that smoking isn’t as glamorous as it used to be. What is hard, of course, is breaking away from such a long-term habit, like smoking. Did you know that it takes the average smoker nearly 30 tries to quit smoking before they are successful? Nicotine dependency (physical addiction), genetics, and stress all play a part in the reasons why it’s so hard to stop smoking.

Here are several effective cessation aids that will give you all the help you need to quit smoking:

1. Nicotine gum
With over 7,000 chemicals, cigarette smoke is dangerously toxic. Nicotine is a harmful toxin, and highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco cigarettes. Nicotine increases blood pressure, risk of heart attack, and can cause a stroke. Nicotine gum helps smokers stop using cigarettes by easing chemical withdrawal symptoms and providing the body with smaller amounts of nicotine over a 12 week period. The body can adjust accordingly, and no longer crave nicotine.

2. Nicotine patch
Many smokers start their smoking cessation journey with the traditional nicotine patch. Nicotine patches come in a 3-step program. A sticker or “patch” uses the latest technology to hold in an extended-release dose of nicotine so that it doesn’t evaporate. Next, the dosage of medication helps brain chemistry to alleviate cravings and ultimately to prevent the urge to smoke entirely. 

3. Nicotine lozenges
Nicotine lozenges can be used alone, or in addition to patches, and also keep working to curb cravings after the lozenge has dissolved.

4. Nicotine nasal spray
As with patches, gum, and lozenges, the goal of products like nicotine nasal spray, is to deliver a controlled amount of nicotine to the body and decrease the urge to smoke. 

5. Bupropion medication
Marketed under drug names, like Wellbutrin and Zyban, these antidepressant drugs often prescribed for bipolar depression, have also shown success for patients in nicotine withdrawal.  An oral medication taken This prescription medication is available in tablet form and taken every 6 hours, aims to control cravings while decreasing physical dependence on nicotine.