When it comes to quitting smoking, to increase the chances of success, many people turn to nicotine replacement therapy. This therapy, via a range of methods, is designed to counteract the physical withdrawals and cravings that are involved in smoking cessation.

The most well known forms of nicotine replacement therapy are nicotine gum and patches. These are largely available from most pharmacies and even supermarkets. However, they are not without their side effects – for some, the taste of the nicotine while chewing the gum is unpleasant, and for people with sensitive skin wearing a patch can be uncomfortable after a few hours.

The other disadvantages to these methods are that they do nothing to counteract a different type of craving regularly associated with those quitting smoking; the need to do something with your hands.

Thankfully, there is an alternative available: the inhalator. The nicotine replacement inhalator is shaped like a normal cigarette, but is made from plastic. It consists of a mouthpiece and a cartridge of nicotine.

To use, the mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth. As this action is reminiscent of smoking a cigarette, it deals with the hands-off problem that many people trying to quit smoking struggle with. The user than draws breath in through the inhalator, causing nicotine from the cartridge to be released. This travels into the mouth as a vapor, where it can then be deeply inhaled or just allowed to settle. It causes a tingling sensation in the mouth, but few describes this as unpleasant.

Each cartridge for the inhalator contains enough nicotine for around 400 puffs. It is estimated that it takes around 80 puffs on the inhalator to release the same amount of nicotine contained in one cigarette. Doctors recommend beginning with around six to 12 cartridges a day, depending on how many cigarettes you usually smoke per day.

The inhalator is the perfect form of nicotine replacement therapy for those who miss the physical aspects of smoking the most. Like a cigarette, the inhalator needs to be raised to and from the mouth, helping people who report problems of not knowing what to do with their hands when not smoking. It is also one of only two forms of nicotine replacement therapy that produces a cigarette-like “hit” of nicotine. For some, the inhalator is the most effective method of nicotine replacement therapy, and reports a success rate of over 50%, like most forms of replacement therapy.

The first point here may seem like an obvious one, but it does need to be stated. To successfully quit smoking, you genuinely need to want to do it. There are many reasons and motivations that make people want to quit, but the pressure needs to come from inside. If you are simply stopping to make someone else happy, the chances of you succeeding are slim. You have to find your own motivation and your own desire to really kick the habit once and for all.

If you are confident you are stopping for your reasons and no one else’s, then proceed on. Start by writing down why you’re quitting, as this is something you can refer back to when you’re in the midst of an intense craving and want a cigarette more than anything. Write in bullet points; short, succinct sentences detailing your reasons for wanting smoking to be a thing of the past for you. As well as health benefits, write down the emotional and financial side of stopping smoking.

With this complete, look in to nicotine replacement therapy. There is a huge range of methods available to help deal with the physical withdrawal of smoking, from inhalators which recreate the physical sensation of smoking to nasal sprays which recreate the “hit” and buzz of nicotine. If patches and gum have failed you in the past, do try one of the lesser known methods. By starting a course of nicotine replacement therapy, you are effectively doubling your chances of success.

You can also look in to group therapy, which tends to be run by doctors or hospitals. Here, you can sit and discuss the process of quitting, and have like-minded people in the same situation to turn to on bad days. Like nicotine replacement therapy, you are increasing your chances of success by attending therapy or counselling.

The next step is to set goals. After your first week of not smoking, gather together the money you would have spent on cigarettes and go and spend it. Make this a frivolous purchase, designed for nothing but fun. One week may seem like a short period in which to get a reward, but it should give you an incentive to continue. After the first week, schedule your next reward for one month without cigarettes, and then three months. This frivolous fun should help keep you on track during the difficult days, as they give something to look forward to and show that your efforts are not in vain.

Finally, one of the key aspects of quitting smoking – that is often forgotten – is that never consider yourself completely recovered. Try and think of yourself as an ex-smoker, not a non-smoker. “Just one cigarette” is often the downfall of many who have not smoked for years. Remain vigilant, always follow nicotine replacement therapy courses to their conclusion, and never be tempted just to try a cigarette and see if you still like it. You can beat the addiction, but it will always be ready to draw you back in. Keep that in mind, and the very best of luck!