Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a medically approved way to treat people with tobacco use disorder by taking nicotine by means other than tobacco. It is used to help with quitting smoking or stopping chewing tobacco. It increases the chance of quitting tobacco smoking by about 55%. Often it is used along with other behavioral techniques. NRT has also been used to treat ulcerative colitis. Types of NRT include the adhesive patch, chewing gum, lozenges, nose spray, and inhaler. The use of multiple types of NRT at a time may increase effectiveness.Common side effects depend on the formulation of nicotine. Common side effects with the gum include nausea, hiccups, and irritation of the mouth. Common side effects with the patch include skin irritation and a dry mouth while the inhaler commonly results in a cough, runny nose, or headaches. Serious risks include nicotine poisoning and continued addiction. They do not appear to increase the risk of heart attacks. There are possible harms to the baby if used during pregnancy. Nicotine replacement therapy works by reducing cravings caused by nicotine addiction.They were first approved for use in 1984, in the United States. Nicotine replacement products are on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. They are available as generic medications. Medical uses
Nicotine replacement therapy, in the form of gum, patches, nasal spray, inhaler and lozenges all improve the ability of people trying to quit tobacco products.
Nicotine preloading, otherwise known as pre-cessation or pre-quitting NRT, has found that using the patch for a few weeks before the quit date produces significantly higher quit rates than if it was started on the quit day. The true pulmonary inhaler would deliver nicotine to the lungs in a manner that more resembles cigarette smoking, which would provide better relief of background cravings as well as acute cravings. Nicotine vaccines are under investigation as a method to treat tobacco dependence through priming the body to mount an immune response against nicotine. References
External links

"Nicotine". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention
Recommendations for special populations
"Nicotine Lozenges". MedlinePlus. 2018-08-15. "Nicotine Nasal Spray". MedlinePlus. 2016-07-15. "Nicotine Oral Inhalation". MedlinePlus. 2016-07-15. "Nicotine Gum". MedlinePlus. 2017-10-15.