Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) increases your chances of giving up smoking, and it has come a long way since it was a Prescription Only product just a few years ago. It then became Pharmacy Only, and could be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist, and then General Sales List which did not need the supervision. There were, however, still warnings in the product license about using NRT when there were other medical conditions, or during pregnancy, even though these were the people who may have need it most urgently. The drug regulating authority, the MHRA, have now issues a statement saying that there is now considered to be no circumstance where smoking is considered safer than using NRT, and the product licenses will be changed to reflect this as the products come up for review, probably starting next year.
This relaxation in regulations is due to a slight shift in thinking, which now introduces the concept of reduction of harm. So that NRT can now be used in a temporary way, even where there is no intent to give up smoking, for example where someone can’t smoke or doesn’t want to appear antisocial by smoking and exposing others to second-hand smoke. So going away on a course or visiting the grandchildren are now accepted as reasons for using NRT.
Similarly, the time limits for using Nicotine Replacement Products to quit smoking are being dropped, as continuing with NRT is considered healthier than smoking over any time scale.
Using different NRT products together used to be warned against in the Product License, but this advice is already being modified, so that different products can be used together to obtain the required result. So that current thinking is that it is OK to use a low dose patch to keep cravings away, and then top this up with a short acting tablet or spray if you need the extra support when you are with others who are smoking.
Using NRT to help cut down on the number of cigarettes smoked is now also recognised as a path to stopping smoking, even if there is no immediate desire to quit.
However, the underlying health message is still that smoking is bad for your health, using Nicotine Replacement Products is less harmful but not ideal, and that giving them both up is the target to aim for. The people at most risk of smoking related complications are pregnant women and anyone with another medical condition.
Author : Colin Winstanley
