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How To Quit Smoking Gradually

Deciding to stop smoking is an important and difficult choice. It's also important that you choose the approach that will work best for you.

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You may decide to quit smoking completely or to reduce how many cigarettes you smoke gradually over time. If you decide to quit gradually, you'll want to know how to use NICORETTE® Smoking Cessation Gum and break quitting into manageable chunks.

We believe that you're doing something amazing by quitting smoking. Quitting is a journey, and we're here to help you every step of the way.

Things to Consider About Quitting Gradually

When deciding whether to quit gradually, you'll want to think about these things:

  • You gain the flexibility to reduce your habit bit by bit.

  • You can realize that you aren't powerless. You can take positive steps to quit smoking.

  • You may find it harder to quit smoking completely.

  • You continue to damage your health and to spend money on smoking until you quit for good.

Success of Quitting Gradually

Have you had trouble quitting smoking before? By gradually cutting back the cigarettes you smoke with our NICORETTE® Gum REDUCE TO QUIT® program, you can increase your chances of successfully quitting by 4x.

How REDUCE TO QUIT® Works

REDUCE TO QUIT® is when you gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke while managing your nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms with NICORETTE® Smoking Cessation Gum until you're ready to quit for good.

We suggest aiming to give up smoking completely in six months. However, that's only a guide. If you haven't stopped smoking completely after six months, please see your health care professional.

Dosing Suggestions

Here are dosing suggestions for our REDUCE TO QUIT® approach:

0 to 6 weeks - Ease into It

Identify the cigarettes that matter the least in your daily routine and replace them with NICORETTE® Gum.

6 to 16 weeks - Cut Down by 50%

Set goals to try and get rid of some of the cigarettes that are more difficult to give up, like the first one of the day or after a meal and use NICORETTE® Gum to manage the cravings and withdrawal symptoms you're bound to experience.

By 16 weeks, you should aim to be smoking half the number of daily cigarettes as when you started following this approach.

16 to 24 weeks - The Home Stretch

Continue to eliminate cigarettes from your daily routine while managing your nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms with NICORETTE® Smoking Cessation Gum

Congratulations on getting this far. During these last three months, you will have decreased your dependence on cigarettes and will be more ready to give them up entirely.

Once you've quit for good, if you have the occasional urge to smoke, use NICORETTE® products to get you through.

Discover more on how to tackle cigarette cravings

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If you stay smoke-free for the first week of quitting smoking, you’re 9x more likely to quit for good. Take the NICORETTE® First Week Challenge®.

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Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Timeline

What happens when you quit smoking? Discover the positive effects on your body from 20 minutes to 10 years after quitting with this timeline.

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Calculate Your Savings

Explore the cost of cigarettes and use NICORETTE® savings calculator to discover how much money you can save by quitting smoking.