nicotine patch

Plastic patch impregnated with nicotine that is stuck onto the skin to help the wearer give up smoking tobacco. Nicotine seeps out at a controlled rate onto the skin and is absorbed into the blood, thereby relieving the wearer's physical craving for the drug. The amount administered is reduced over time as the wearer proceeds from high-dose to low-dose patches.

Nicotine patches are more effective when combined with counselling because, although they can alleviate physical dependence on nicotine, they do not alter the habits that can make the wearer yearn for a cigarette. Very high doses of nicotine, such as those produced when wearing more than one patch at a time, can produce side effects such as vomiting, disturbed vision, and – in extreme cases – heart attacks.

Nicotine patches have been available in the USA since 1991 but must be prescribed by a doctor. US sales, amounting to about $750 million per year, account for almost 75% of the world market.