They make quitting less painful

Quit-smoking medicines can make quitting easier by reducing your withdrawal symptoms.

Think back to when you first began smoking cigarettes. You probably started as a teen or young adult. Most people don’t go from not smoking to smoking regularly overnight:

• The first few cigarettes you smoked probably made you feel uncomfortable. You may have had a coughing fit, or felt sick to your stomach. But you kept trying cigarettes.
• It took time for your brain to get used to the effects of nicotine, the powerful drug in cigarettes.
• You learned by experience how to smoke so your lungs didn’t hurt so much, and so you got enough but not too much nicotine.

Quitting smoking is the same thing in reverse:

• If you have smoked for a long time, you may experience uncomfortable and unpleasant moments as you get used to not having nicotine around anymore.
• This is called withdrawal, where you feel physically uncomfortable and may have a hard time concentrating or sleeping. You may feel anxious or irritable.
• In addition, many people have increased urges to smoke that can become hard to control.