Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

The questions below are those most frequently asked of our Advisers. If your particular question is answered below why not email it through to one of our team or call us on 0800 0854 113

Q - Do patches work?  

A - The patches always work but sometimes the person who is using them is not ready to stop and is not willing to put in the hard work needed to be a successful quitter.

Q - What is your success rate? 

A - About half of the people who set a quit date with the Service will manage to stop for at least a month and about 1 in 5 will manage to stay stopped long term 

Q - How can I prevent weight gain? 

A - Not everybody gains weight when they stop smoking but if you do gain a few pounds then you need to make sure you are not replacing smoking with eating fattening foods. Exercise will help to increase your metabolism and burn off extra calories and it will help alleviate cravings and withdrawal symptoms as well. Don't try to diet and stop smoking at the same time. If you have gained some weight, wait until you feel confident as a non smoker before you start a diet.    

Q - What happens if I smoke at the same time as using NRT? 

A - You shouldn't smoke and use NRT at the same time as you can overdose on nicotine and if you do overdose you may feel sick and light-headed.   

Q - Which is the best product to use? 

A - All of the products are as effective as each other, the important thing is to choose one that suits your lifestyle and make sure that you understand how to use it properly   

Q - Is Zyban better than NRT? 

A - No they are both as effective as each other   

Q - Why will I not get addicted to the patch? 

A - As a smoker you are already addicted to the nicotine,  it is because of the delivery of nicotine from a patch, that makes them easy to discontinue.  With smoking - nicotine goes from the lungs to the brain in 7-10 seconds, with patches you do not get the same quantity of nicotine,  or speed of nicotine it trickles in over a 16-24 hour period, making withdrawal symptoms and cravings less severe.    

Q - Roll-ups are not as bad for your as tailor made ones are they? 

A - Roll-ups are just as bad for your health as tailor made cigarettes and in fact you may take in more tar and carbon monoxide because they are not standardised so you are more at risk from some cancers and lung diseases.

Q -  Do I have to pay for NRT?

 A - It is available on prescription through this service, so if you usually pay for prescriptions there will   be a prescription charge, if not there will not. 

Q - How often/frequent do I need to come and see you?

A - Ideally, weekly at first, to provide you with information and support at the beginning of your quit.  However, it is a flexible, negotiable service to meet your needs - so we can discuss it.  We do like to see you at the 4 week post-set quit date to complete the monitoring form. 

Q - I have now realised the timing is not right for me, will you see me again?

A - Yes, but if the time is not right at present, we suggest that you leave it for 6 months before re-accessing the service, so that you feel really motivated.

Q -  Isn't Zyban really dangerous?

A - Unfortunately, it has had some bad press.  As with all medication there are side-effects and it is not suitable for everyone.  We will go through a health questionnaire that will give us an indication if it is suitable for you. If it was as unsafe as you have been led to believe, it would not be prescribable.  Your GP has to prescribe it for you.   

Q - Have you ever smoked?

A - Yes - so I can relate to it, however smokers are very much creatures of habit, with many experiencing similar feelings,  which as advisers we are very familiar with and experienced in answering questions and giving support.  So it is not a pre-requisite to this job.   

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