Five Hours Smoke-Free
I am using the nicotine patch. I still get cravings. The nurse told me
I need to stay on the patch for at least a year, and she told me to
use as much nicotine replacement as I need to break the urge to smoke.
Celinda “Cindy”
April 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Hi Cindy,
I’m afraid the advice you’ve been given is characteristic of the new
reality in smoking cessation as it’s viewed by both the medical community
in general and government at all levels. That reality is that it’s cheaper
and easier to medicate than to cure.
It’s cheaper to provide nicotine replacement indefinitely than to deal with
the health costs that result from cigarette smoking (inhaled nicotine).
It’s also cheaper and easier to medicate than to work at changing habits
and creating new nonsmoking patterns. A big part of that is because the
current popular programs for smoking cessation are time and labor
intensive. That they also have a poor success rate only contributes to the
trend to medicate rather than cure.
Good luck,
Steve