When it comes to quitting smoking, to increase the chances of success, many people turn to nicotine replacement therapy. This therapy, via a range of methods, is designed to counteract the physical withdrawals and cravings that are involved in smoking cessation.

The most well known forms of nicotine replacement therapy are nicotine gum and patches. These are largely available from most pharmacies and even supermarkets. However, they are not without their side effects – for some, the taste of the nicotine while chewing the gum is unpleasant, and for people with sensitive skin wearing a patch can be uncomfortable after a few hours.

The other disadvantages to these methods are that they do nothing to counteract a different type of craving regularly associated with those quitting smoking; the need to do something with your hands.

Thankfully, there is an alternative available: the inhalator. The nicotine replacement inhalator is shaped like a normal cigarette, but is made from plastic. It consists of a mouthpiece and a cartridge of nicotine.

To use, the mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth. As this action is reminiscent of smoking a cigarette, it deals with the hands-off problem that many people trying to quit smoking struggle with. The user than draws breath in through the inhalator, causing nicotine from the cartridge to be released. This travels into the mouth as a vapor, where it can then be deeply inhaled or just allowed to settle. It causes a tingling sensation in the mouth, but few describes this as unpleasant.

Each cartridge for the inhalator contains enough nicotine for around 400 puffs. It is estimated that it takes around 80 puffs on the inhalator to release the same amount of nicotine contained in one cigarette. Doctors recommend beginning with around six to 12 cartridges a day, depending on how many cigarettes you usually smoke per day.

The inhalator is the perfect form of nicotine replacement therapy for those who miss the physical aspects of smoking the most. Like a cigarette, the inhalator needs to be raised to and from the mouth, helping people who report problems of not knowing what to do with their hands when not smoking. It is also one of only two forms of nicotine replacement therapy that produces a cigarette-like “hit” of nicotine. For some, the inhalator is the most effective method of nicotine replacement therapy, and reports a success rate of over 50%, like most forms of replacement therapy.

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