Nicorette Sugar-free Gums, 2mg
The good thing with gum is that you can dose how much nicotine you need to function—and then decrease gradually. For those smoking less than 25 cigs a day, start by chewing one 2mg piece every 1-2 hours. For chronic smokers of 25 cigs or more, do the same with a 4mg gum.
Price: B360, at Watsons
Regular Strength Nicotinell Mint Gums, 2mg
Nicotinell has a wide selection of flavors of nicotine gums so you don’t have to be stuck with ones that taste like cow tongues—except in Bangkok, where only mint is available. Think of it as a menthol. Like the Nicorette, this is medium strength gum, recommended for those that light up fewer than 20 times a day. Fifteen pieces per day should do the trick, but if you’re lighting your cigarette with the butt of the one you just finished, you need to upgrade to a patch.
Price: B960 at Boots
Nicotinell TTS 30 Nicotine Patch
TTS 30 is a starter pack for chronic smokers who light up more than 20 cigs a day. It’s a patch that releases nicotine into your body through the pores of your skin, suppressing the biological urge to smoke. You should wear the patches 24/7 and keep doing it for at least three months before you move on to the less-concentrated pack of TTS 20-10.
Price: B1,130 at Watsons
Quomem 150 mg. Sustained-release Tablets
This does not release nicotine—it releases a chemical component called bupropion that suppresses your addiction. You start by popping one tablet daily in the morning for three days and then up the dose to twice a day until the urge is no more. Oh, and it also doubles as anti-depressant. Except when one of the writers here tried it out, his dreams turned into bad LCD-trips and he soon had to go back to the safety of smoking cigarettes.
Price: B2,300 at Bootsn
Essentials
Boots. Try 60/5-7 Silom Rd., 02-233-0571. www.bootsthai.com.
Watsons. Try 2/F MBK, Rama 1 Rd., 02-611-7126. www.watsons.co.th.
8 Tips for Quitting
1 Get rid of all your lighters and leftover packs of cigarettes.
2 Set short-term goals. Say “I will not smoke at all today” instead of “I quit forever.” You will get a sense of accomplishment.
3 When you feel the urge to light up, think of all the reasons why you wanted to quit in the first place.
4 Reward yourself. Buy yourself a gift with what you would have spent on cigarettes this week.
5 Find things to do to get your mind off smoking. Try exercise.
6 If you’re used to smoking after a meal, switch to juice or chew gum instead.
7 Don’t give in to thinking “One cigarette won’t hurt anything.” Even one can get you back on your habit.
8 Try the buddy system. When you feel the urge, call up a friend who has kicked the habit.
