We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

What are the Different Types of Smoking Cessation Aids?

By Kasey James
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

There are many types of smoking cessation aids, including nicotine replacement therapies, prescription medications, and other natural options. Some people find that one product will help them. Others will use a few different smoking cessation products before finding the right one.

Nicotine replacement therapy can be a great help to stop smoking. These options may be some of the most popular smoking cessation aids. Many people chew nicotine gum that will allow a specific dose of nicotine into the body to help curb the urge to smoke cigarettes. A nicotine patch acts in a similar way. The patch is placed on the skin to allow small amounts of nicotine to be released.

Another nicotine replacement therapy aid is electronic cigarettes. These smoking cessation aids are similar to the patch and gum. The user inhales nicotine to help with the physical cravings. The amount of nicotine lessens as the body stops needing it. The electronic cigarette resembles a real cigarette, but is smokeless.

Prescription medications are often used as smoking cessation aids. The medication does have to be prescribed by a doctor and filled at a pharmacy. These medications are designed to help with the physical withdrawal from nicotine. It is up to the prescribing doctor to decide for how long patients use the medication.

There are some natural smoking cessation aids such as acupuncture, hypnosis, and herbs. Acupuncture is a Chinese remedy where needles are placed in the skin at specific points of the body. This has been known to help with addictions. Hypnosis is when a hypnotist puts a person under an altered state of mind and discusses the need to quit smoking during that time.

Herbs such as Korean ginseng have been known to help people with stress so that it becomes easier to quit smoking. Other herbs that may be helpful in the process of quitting are avena sativa, mimosa tea, and valerian. These herbs can be purchased at health stores and may be a safe option for those who want to stop smoking.

It is important for people using smoking cessation aids to want to quit smoking for themselves and for their loved ones. Smoking aids will work best when there is a good support system for the person who is quitting smoking. Not smoking may improve a person's health and well-being.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By Fa5t3r — On Feb 05, 2015

@clintflint - Yeah, I remember going into a shop that sold alternative medicines and herbal cigarettes and things like that when I was a teenager and had started smoking, to see if there was some kind of alternative to normal cigarettes that wouldn't be so bad for me.

Luckily the shop-keeper didn't take advantage and basically told me I was being silly. Any foreign substance that you purposefully breathe into your lungs is probably going to be harmful.

By clintflint — On Feb 04, 2015

@pleonasm - The problem is that they don't really discourage you from psychological addiction because they are an almost complete substitute. If it wasn't the nicotine that attracted you to smoking (although you were probably still physically addicted to it, even if you didn't realize it) then giving up was a matter of getting rid of whatever did attract you.

It might seem like you can just stick to e-cigarettes as an alternative rather than a cure, but most of the time people want to quit smoking altogether because it's inconvenient as well as dangerous for their health. And, frankly, e-cigarettes tend to be fairly expensive and they aren't completely free of health problems either.

By pleonasm — On Feb 03, 2015

They weren't that common back when I was quitting, but I often thought that an e-cigarette would have been an awesome way to stop smoking.

I actually never cared that much for nicotine and the idea of introducing it into my body in a way other than smoking (like with the patch or gum) seemed ridiculous. I liked smoking because I liked having something to do with my hands and an excuse to take little breaks and be social during the day. It would have been nice to ween myself off the habit with a substitute instead of going cold turkey.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.