Quitting smoking isn’t easy to do. Still, it’s more than worthwhile to try, considering that cigarettes are the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and account for approximately 480,000 deaths annually. However, the reality is that smoking cessation involves withdrawal symptoms like disrupted sleep, irritability, increased appetite, headaches, and more. To avoid these symptoms from causing you to lapse back into smoking, it’s best you use a quit-smoking aid that can help ease your cessation.
There are many aids you can look into, like nicotine patches and lozenges. But if you want to try a product that’s consistently proven powerful, flavorful, and effective, consider using nicotine pouches. The following is an overview of how you can leverage nicotine pouches to quit cigarettes for good.
What are nicotine pouches?
Nicotine pouches are small, soft packets containing food-grade fillings, flavorings, PH balancers, and pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt. You use one by inserting it between your upper lip and gum. Several brands, including On! and VELO, offer pouches with features that cater to different users. Case in point, ZYN Spearmint pouches are best suited for those who like minty flavors—for instance, people who used menthol cigarettes—and want to try a subtle and satisfying iteration of the taste for their pouch usage. They’re also gluten- and lactose-free and have less than 1% of daily recommended carbohydrates. Therefore, they’re great for those who have intolerances to those ingredients or are conscious about their intake. Another option is Lucy kapsel pouches, which provide an extra kick via an additional liquid capsule within its pouch. They’re best for those who want intense flavors to accompany their nicotine absorption.
How to use nicotine pouches to quit cigarettes
Find the appropriate nicotine strength
When starting with nicotine pouches, choose a strength equivalent to what you were accustomed to when you were smoking. According to Medical News Today, a typical cigarette contains 11.9 to 14.5mg of nicotine. Nicotine pouches, on the other hand, have strengths available as low as 2mg and as high as 30mg. Note, however, that the experience of using a pouch differs from leveraging a cigarette. Through inhalation, the nicotine from cigarettes can spread throughout your body rapidly, while nicotine pouches spread the stimulant gradually within an hour. Because of this, you’ll want to examine how your body reacts to the pouches when deciding on a strength.
In general, those who used to be heavy smokers should try starting with pouches over the 11mg mark. Those who smoked ten to 20 cigarettes a day can consider pouch strengths between 7mg and 11mg, while those who smoked below ten cigarettes daily can attempt doses of 7mg and below. Once you’ve found your nicotine pouch strength match, keep utilizing that level until you’re confident you’re no longer reliant on cigarettes. After that, start decreasing your nicotine dosage with a pouch of lower nicotine strength, and continue this process until you can stop using pouches altogether.
Take care of your mouth
The nicotine from the pouches enters your bloodstream through your gums. For this reason, you may experience side effects like gum irritation or a sore mouth. You can avoid these symptoms, however, by following the advice from our previous ‘Tips For Looking After Your Teeth’ post. There, we recommend guidelines like brushing your teeth twice a day, adding mouthwash to your routine, and drinking plenty of water. We also advise not to use tobacco products—and since you’ve switched to nicotine pouches, that’s already something you can check off the list.
Get support from a helpline
Obtaining more information about how to use nicotine pouches is as simple as calling your local quitline via the number 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Doing so will connect you with a trained quit coach who can advise you about your quit plan and tell you the best practices in using nicotine replacement therapy medications like pouches. They can also refer you to more quit-smoking programs and resources you can take, in addition to nicotine pouches, to further your chances of quitting cigarettes altogether.
Nicotine pouches can help you stave off cravings and finally quit cigarettes for good. Follow the above tips to start using them.
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