Myths About Quitting Smoking

We want to give you the facts and bust these myths. Because quitting is hard enough and having the right information can help you.

Myth 1: You’ll Gain Weight

There’s some truth to the common fear - if you stop smoking, you’ll gain weight. However, it’s nicotine that speeds up your metabolism and helps suppress your appetite. That’s where Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), like NICORETTE^®, plays a part. It gives you a controlled dose of nicotine to help you quit smoking, while helping to deal with your metabolism and appetite.

You may be tempted to eat more when you quit for two reasons:

• You miss the hand-to-mouth action of smoking.

• You confuse cigarette cravings with hunger pangs.

To combat those two things, try to:

• Keep healthy snacks (like vegetables and fruits) handy.

• Use the NICORETTE^® Icy Mint Medicated Chewing Gum.

Myth 2: Smoking Relieves Stress

Smoking actually increases anxiety and tension because it elevates your heart rate. It’s the action of smoking that relieves stress because most smokers are tense until their next cigarette.

NICORETTE^® gives you a controlled dose of nicotine to help you wean off cigarettes. Instead, you can find new ways to relax and deal with stress – even the stress associated with quitting.

Myth 3: Willpower is the Best Way to Quit

Quitting cold turkey can be especially hard because you’re dealing with the physical withdrawal symptoms at the same time as you’re kicking the habit. Instead, Nicotine Replacement Therapy products such as NICORETTE^® can double your chances of successfully quitting smoking versus willpower alone.

Myth 4: Nicotine is Bad for You

Some people worry that using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to help them quit will be just as bad for their health as smoking cigarettes. It’s not true.

It’s cigarette smoke’s harmful chemicals, such as tar and carbon monoxide that are bad for you. Those ingredients can lead to health problems like heart disease and lung cancer.

Nicotine causes you to become addicted to smoking, and using NRT lets you reduce the cigarettes you smoke. By reducing the amount of tobacco smoke you inhale, you also reduce the associated health risks. By following the recommended tapering regimen, you are also weaning yourself off nicotine gradually.

Myth 5: NRT is More Expensive Than Smoking

Lots of smokers are unaware of how much their smoking habit costs. The figures can be shocking when you add up how much you spend over a decade. Yes, NRT costs money, but it’s very unlikely that it’s as expensive as smoking.

Certain NRT products may cost more per packet than cigarettes, but in the long run they’ll add up to far less. The costs of NRT only apply in the short term, because it’s designed to help you wean off nicotine. Just think of what you can do with the money you save in the long run.