How to Stop Smoking With Patches
If you quit smoking, you will greatly reduce the chance of heart disease, cancer, and emphysema. It is hard to quit smoking, however, and using the patch can make it easier for you to be successful. Follow the directions that come with the patches, and you can become a non-smoker.
- Purchase the nicotine patch at any drug store. Make sure you purchase the correct patch depending upon how many cigarettes you smoke per day. You will either start out with Level 1 or Level 2.
- Put the nicotine patch on your body and leave it there for 24 hours. If you cannot sleep well with the patch on, as some people can’t, you can remove it before you go to bed. Just know if you do this, you will have a strong craving for nicotine when you wake up in the morning. The patch releases a steady stream of nicotine into your body throughout the day, which greatly helps with nicotine withdrawals.
- Apply a new patch the next day to a different area of your body. If you apply the patch to the same area, the skin can become irritated. Look at the directions on the box. It will show you the correct places where you can apply the patch to your body.
- Continue using the patch for the next 6 weeks, or go by the directions on the box. At the end of this time, you can use the next level of patches. It will take approximately 10 weeks on these patches before you can completely quit smoking. Do not miss a day and follow the directions correctly.