Nicotine and smoking cessationIs nicotine harmful?? Do I gain weight after stopping smoking? Will I become addicted to nicotine replacement? There is a lot of uncertainty about nicotine, smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy. Since quitting is hard enough, we prefer to offer you facts instead of myths.
Reduction of cigarette consumption has high health benefits
True and false!
Many smokers overestimate the health benefits of reducing their cigarette consumption. Therefore they try rather to reduce their tobacco consumption, than to stop smoking completely. It is a fact that in the long term, a reduction increases the probability of stopping smoking completely. However, smoking, whether 3 or 15 cigarettes, is harmful to humans. Unlike smoking cessation, no reduction in mortality risk can be observed with reduction.
A reduction in cigarette consumption has a health benefit only if it is followed by a cessation of smoking in the long term.
Myth: Nicotine is carcinogenic
Wrong! Nicotine is not carcinogenic according to the current state of science. Of the over 4.800 ingredients of a cigarette 90 are suspected to be carcinogenic.
Major causes of lung cancer and other cancers are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines, which are absorbed into the body with cigarette smoke.
Myth: Nicotine causes other smoking-related diseases
Wrong! Cigarettes are well known to cause cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease and other disorders, but the cause, according to current knowledge, is not nicotine.
Rather, the countless toxins in cigarette smoke are responsible for the harmful consequences. In other words, the delivery method. It is not the nicotine itself that causes the majority of tobacco smoke related illnesses.
Myth: Nicotine is addictive
Correct! It is the nicotine that, when smoked, is particularly quickly addictive. The body of a smoker gets used to a constant level of nicotine in the blood or to nicotine inhalations at certain times.
When cigarettes are no longer smoked, the body sounds the alarm in the form of withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, nicotine is responsible for the existing desire to smoke and the reason why many smokers repeatedly expose themselves to the toxic substances of cigarette smoke.
Myth: Nicotine replacement products are addictive
Wrong!
Nicotine Replacement Products such as NICORETTE® are not likely to cause an intoxicating effect. This is due to the way nicotine is inhaled: nicotine inhaled through tobacco smoke triggers a "kick" in the brain within a few seconds. So inhalation of nicotine works faster than an injection.
Only a few cigarettes are often enough to make the consumer addicted to it. With all NICORETTE® products the uptake of nicotine is much slower, i.e. a "kick" like with normal cigarette consumption is not triggered. Nevertheless, the positive effect remains: the smoker is deprived of the physical desire for the cigarette.
You will learn how exactly this is possible in the chapter Nicotine replacement therapy. Overdose is not possible if you follow the instructions for use.
Myth: Nicotine replacement therapy is as dangerous as smoking itself
Wrong! The nicotine contained in nicotine replacement products is produced by regulated pharmaceutical methods. Nicotine gum, Nicotine patch & Co. Do not contain the harmful substances found in cigarette smoke. Therefore, do not bear the risk of the serious diseases associated with smoking.
Myth: Nicotine replacement is more expensive than cigarettes
Wrong! Many smokers do not even know how much money they spend on cigarettes. Once they add up the cost for a week or a month, they will probably be very surprised. Nicotine replacement products do cost money, however the goal of nicotine replacement therapy is to reduce nicotine gradually. So costs arise only in the short term – in the long term you save money. How much money you could save, reveals our Cigarette Calculator.
Myth: Nicotine is toxic
Right and wrong! Nicotine is basically not toxic in small amounts. Since smokers are usually used to high doses, overdoses are not to be expected. Non-smokers can react with nausea when taking it. For small children, higher doses of nicotine can even be fatal. Therefore, both NICORETTE® products and cigarettes should be kept out of the reach of children.
Myth: Nicotine causes yellow stains on fingers and teeth
Wrong! Not the nicotine in the cigarettes, but the tar causes yellowish stains on fingers and teeth.
Myth: Nicotine is a man-made substance
Incorrect! Nicotine is a naturally occurring substance in tobacco, which is extracted from the tobacco plant.
Myth: After quitting smoking you gain weight
Right and wrong! It is true that many non-smokers gain weight after quitting smoking. This is due to the nicotine, which previously stimulated the metabolism and curbed the appetite.
This is where nicotine replacement products come in. These release controlled doses of nicotine and help quit smoking while controlling metabolism and appetite.
In addition, as a non-smoker, you often eat more at first, because on the one hand you miss the "hand-to-mouth movement" and on the other hand you "confuse" the craving for cigarettes with hunger pangs. To counteract this, you can prepare small healthy snacks such as vegetable sticks or fruit. Learn more at Stop smoking without gaining weight.
Myth: Smoking helps regulate stress
Wrong! Here, the opposite is true: smoking increases internal tension because it increases the heart rate. It is rather the action of the smoker who expects the cigarette to relieve the stress that occurs between two cigarettes.
Smoking thus causes stress, which it then supposedly alleviates. Learn more about this topic at Quitting smoking: Benefits.
Myth: Willpower is crucial when quitting smoking
Right and wrong! Motivation is important when it comes to quitting. But: The resolution alone leads unfortunately rather rarely to success. Quitting cigarettes without aids succeeds only in 3 to 5 percent of cases the first time around.
It is now recognized that smoking is addictive in two senses: In addition to the psychological aspect, the physical addiction to nicotine and the resulting nicotine withdrawal make smoking cessation so difficult. Learn more about the problems of the Smoking cessation.
Which nicorette® products are available?
You want to stop smoking with nicorette®? Discover our different dosage forms now. Find the right product for you!
Valuable tips for a life without "butts
You would like to finally become smoke-free? We have compiled the best tips for successfully quitting smoking for you!
You have questions?
In our FAQ you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine myths as well as about our products.
Mandatory
Nicorette ® Inhaler 15 mg
Active ingredient: Nicotine.
Area of application: Treatment of tobacco dependence by alleviating nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Supporting the withdrawal from cigarettes. Also to reduce the consumption of cigarettes (smoking reduction), in order to achieve smoking cessation this way.
Warning: Contains levomenthol. Status: 11/2019
Nicorette ® Chewing gum 2 mg / 4 mg freshfruit / freshmint / whitemint
Active ingredient: Nicotine (as nicotine-polacriline (1:4)).
area of application: Treatment of tobacco dependence by alleviating withdrawal symptoms. Support for smoking cessation. Also for reducing cigarette consumption (smoking reduction), in order to achieve smoking cessation in this way.
Warnings: Contains levomenthol, peppermint oil, butylhydroxytoluene (E 321). Status: 07/2021
Nicorette ® TX Patch 10 mg, 15 mg, 25 mg
Active ingredient: Nicotine.
Area of application: Treating tobacco dependence by alleviating withdrawal symptoms. Support for smoking cessation. Status: 09/2019
Nicorette ® freshmint 2 mg / 4 mg lozenges, compressed
Active ingredient: Nicotine (as nicotine resinate). Treatment of tobacco dependence by relieving nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Reduction of nicotine craving for smokers with low tobacco dependence (2 mg lozenge) resp. in case of strong tobacco dependence (4 mg lozenge) from 18 years onwards. For immediate smoking cessation as well as for the reduction of cigarette consumption (smoking reduction), in order to gradually achieve smoking cessation in this way. Update: 08/2019
Nicorette ® Mint Spray, 1 mg/spray; Nicorette ® Fruit& Mint Spray, 1 mg/spray puff
Active ingredient: Nicotine.
Indication: Treatment of tobacco addiction in adults by alleviating nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including the urge to smoke, in an attempt to give up smoking immediately or to reduce cigarette consumption (smoking reduction) in order to achieve complete smoking cessation along the way. Complete cessation of smoking should be the ultimate goal.
Warning: Contains ethanol, propylene glycol and butylated hydroxytoluene.