In America, approximately 18% of people smoke cigarettes. Of these, about 70% of people wish to quit smoking. Well, frankly, it is not easy. Unfortunately, in America, people have an addiction to the drug found in cigarettes, i.e., nicotine, over all the other types of drugs. Since nicotine is a highly addictive drug, it is not easy to quit. Honestly, cessation will not happen overnight. It would take you several failed attempts to get there. To help you through the process, we have come up with a list of some of the most popular products to help you quit smoking.

• OTC products
  Now, there are three over the counter (OTC) products available in the market. These include the following:
  • Nicotine patches
    It is undoubtedly the most popular product to help you quit smoking, and is readily available at the drugstore. The patches give you very tiny doses of nicotine via your skin. It does help curb your cravings. However, the entire process would take you some time. Your quitting journey will pass through a bunch of lower dose nicotine patches, till the time all your cravings are weaned off. Following a prominent study, this process could take you anything between eight to twelve weeks.
  • Nicotine gum
    After a while, smoking becomes an oral habit for most people. Now, the idea is not only to overcome the addiction but also to break free from it. The nicotine gums are another OTC product, which will help subdue your cravings. It works like the patches, so the smoker has to start with more frequency or dose and then reduce them over time until they have finally overcome the addiction. The good thing is that unlike the patches, they simultaneously help you break-free from the oral habit of smoking.
  • Lozenges
    These are the perfect nicotine replacement items, which are available OTC. So, you can easily purchase them without any prescription. However, if truth be told, they only have a short-term effect. Remember, you can only take about twenty tablets in a day to curb your cravings.

• Prescription products
  In addition to the OTC products, you can also find two prescription products, which will help you quit smoking.
  • Prescription patches
    They work in a more-or-less similar fashion as the OTC nicotine patches. However, to buy these, you’ll need a prescription from your doctor. When you get the prescription, do not miss out on this big opportunity to seek help from your doctor. You can discuss with him all the other treatment options to quit.
  • Prescription drugs
    Another option is prescription drugs. There is a drug Chantix (varenicline), which is available particularly to help you quit smoking. It targets the area of your brain, which is triggered by nicotine. Some doctors will also recommend Zyban, but it is primarily an antidepressant.