Quitting smokers who use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are often advised to stop using this if they restart smoking; quitters often discontinue NRT after brief smoking lapses. Quitters who continue using NRT during brief lapses may be more likely to return to abstinence. Treating lapses with NRT probably encourages short-term cessation; research should investigate this further and test the impact on smokers’ long-term abstinence and health gain.
Smoking is the greatest reversible cause of morbidity and mortality; cessation is the most important lifestyle change for improving future health. NRT is the most widely used cessation treatment, but 75% of those who attempt cessation will restart smoking within 1 year.