Approved nicotine replacement therapies like lozenges, nicotine gum, and the patch are all touted as the best methods for quitting smoking in the absence of "cold turkey" success. Even dangerous drugs like Chantix are said to be reliable for smoking cessation. Unfortunately, the success rates of these products are not all that advocates make it out to be.
According to Patient.co.uk and other sources, the success rate of NRT’s in the UK is just 17%. In the United States, the one-year success rate is about 15%, according to Tobaccofree.org. Moreover, no matter where you go, the "cold turkey" success rate is about 5%. Why such a dismal record for all of these cessation methods?
All nicotine replacement therapies have one thing in common: they only address the nicotine issue. Yet it is clear to anyone who has studied the habit of cigarette smoking that nicotine addiction is just one small component. In fact, it might even be the smallest component of all. The smoking habit also includes:
- the daily routine of smoking at specific times during the day
- the social experience of smoking with friends and family members
- the calming influence of repetitive activity
- the hand-to-mouth experience of cigarette smoking
- the learned behaviour of achieving nicotine intake through a specific process
