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2 mg Gum nicotine chewing gum 06-0812 Personalised support programme Enrol on the internet or call now on 0800 244 838. with 618691

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Page 1: 2 mg Gum nicotine chewing gum - Boots...chewing gum 06-0812 Personalised support programme Enrol on the internet or call now on 0800 244 838. with 618691 618691b.qxd 07-11-07 08.55

2 mg Gum

nicotinechewing gum

06-0812

Personalised support programme

Enrol on the internet or callnow on 0800 244 838.

with

618691

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A guide for usersWhat you should know about

nicorette® 2 mg Gum(2 mg nicotine chewing gum)Low strength

nicorette® Mint 2 mg Gum(2 mg nicotine chewing gum)Low strength

nicorette® Freshmint 2 mg Gum(2 mg nicotine chewing gum)Low strength

Please read this leaflet carefullybefore you start using thismedicine. It provides usefulinformation on how to use itsafely. Keep the leaflet, you mightneed to read it again.If you think you are having side-effects, have any questions or arenot sure about anything please askyour doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

3

In this leaflet1 What this medicine is for page 4

2 Before using this medicine page 7n Do not use Nicorette Gum page 7n Talk to your doctor, nurse or

pharmacist page 7n Some of the ingredients can cause

problems page 9n If you are pregnant or

breast-feeding page 10

3 How and when to use this medicine page 11n When to use Nicorette Gum page 11 n How to chew Nicorette Gum page 15n How to stop smoking: your choice

page 16n Stopping Immediately: page 18

n Adults aged 18 years and overn Children aged 12 years and over

n Stopping Gradually: page 22 n Adults aged 18 years and overn Children aged 12 years and over

n If you have used too many gumspage 25

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smoking you should also try touse a behavioural supportprogramme to increase yourchances of success. Details ofNicorette ActiveStop are shownin Section 8 of this booklet.If you smoke 20 or fewercigarettes a day, this product willhelp relieve your cravings.

If you smoke more than 20cigarettes a day, 4mg nicotinegum may be more appropriate.

What does Nicorette Gum do?When you stop smoking, or cutdown the number of cigarettesyou smoke, your body misses thenicotine that you have beenabsorbing. You may experienceunpleasant feelings and a strongdesire to smoke (craving). Thisindicates that you weredependent on nicotine.When you chew Nicorette Gum,nicotine is released and passesinto your body through the

n If a child has used or swallowed thegums page 26

4 Possible side-effects page 26

5 Storing and disposal page 30

6 Further information page 31

7 Helpful tips on giving up page 33

8 Nicorette ActiveStop page 40

1 What this medicine is forNicorette Gum is a nicotinereplacement therapy (NRT).It is used to relieve withdrawalsymptoms and reduce thecravings for nicotine that youget when you try to stopsmoking, or when you arecutting down the number ofcigarettes you smoke whiletrying to stop smoking.To help cut down or quit

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2 Before using this medicineDo not use NicoretteGum:n if you have an allergy to

nicotine or any of the otheringredients.

Talk to your doctor,nurse or pharmacist…n if you are pregnant or breast-

feeding – you may be able touse nicotine replacementtherapy (NRT) to help you giveup smoking but you should tryto give up without it. See page9 If you are pregnant orbreast-feeding.

n if you are in hospital becauseof heart disease (includingheart attack, disorders of heartrate or rhythm, or stroke). Inother heart conditions notrequiring you to be in hospital,using NRT is better than

lining of your mouth. Thenicotine released from the gumis sufficient to relieve theunpleasant withdrawalsymptoms. It will also help tostop the craving to smoke, butNicorette Gum will not give youthe ‘’buzz’’ you get fromsmoking a cigarette. Make sureyou chew Nicorette Gumcorrectly to get the best effect –see ‘How to chew Nicorette Gum– the Nicorette ChewingTechnique’. The benefits of stoppingsmoking far outweigh anypotential risk from usingnicotine from NRT. It is the toxinsin cigarette smoke such as tar,lead, cyanide and ammonia thatcause smoking related diseaseand death, not the nicotine.

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or cutting down may requirethe dose of these medicines tobe adjusted.

ä If any of these applies, talk toyour doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Some of the ingredientscan cause problemsn Nicorette 2 mg Gum contains

sorbitol. If you have been toldby your doctor that you havean intolerance to some sugars,talk to your doctor beforetaking this medicine. NicoretteMint 2 mg Gum and NicoretteFreshmint 2 mg Gum do notcontain sorbitol.

n The chewing gum basecontains butylated hydroxytoluene (E321), an anti-oxidant. May cause local skinreactions (e.g. contactdermatitis) or irritation to theeyes and mucous membranes.

continuing to smoke.n if you have a stomach ulcer,

duodenal ulcer, inflammationof the stomach orinflammation of theoesophagus (passage betweenthe mouth and stomach).

n if you have liver or kidneydisease.

n if you have an overactivethyroid gland or have aphaeochromocytoma (atumour of the adrenal glandthat can affect blood pressure)– your doctor will have toldyou this.

n if you have diabetes – monitoryour blood sugar levels moreoften when starting to useNicorette Gum as you may findyour insulin or medicationrequirements alter.

n if you are taking othermedicines such astheophylline, clozapine orropinirole. Stopping smoking

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Breast-feed just before you useNicorette Gum to ensure that thebaby gets the smallest amount ofnicotine possible. If you do need to use NRT to helpyou quit, the amount of nicotinethat the baby may receive isconsiderably smaller and lessharmful than the second-handsmoke they would inhale if yousmoked. Tobacco smoke producesbreathing and other problems inbabies and children.

3 How and when to use this medicineWhen to use theNicorette GumBelow is the dosage informationfor the Nicorette Gums. Thisshows the number of gums youshould be using, when you

If you are pregnant orbreast-feedingIf you are pregnant: ideally, youshould try to give up smokingwithout NRT. If you can’t managethis, you can use NRT as the risksto your baby are far less thansmoking, however you should talkto your doctor, nurse or pharmacistfor advice.Products that are usedintermittently may be preferableto nicotine patches. However,patches may be more suitable ifyou have nausea or sickness.

If you do use patches take themoff before going to bed at night.If you are breast-feeding: ideally,you should try to give upsmoking without NRT. If you can’tmanage this you are best to useNRT products that are takenintermittently (not patches),however you should talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacistfor advice.

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dosing table to find out thedose you should take.

n The Nicorette 4 mg Gums areavailable in alternative packsand should be used for thosewho smoke more than 20cigarettes a day. However the2 mg Gums will also be usefulfor these heavier smokers asthey gradually start to reducethe strength and number ofgums they use each day.

Children under 12 yearsDo not give this product tochildren under 12 years.

should take them, how youshould take them and themaximum amount of time youshould be using NicotineReplacement Therapy (NRT) for.Please read this informationcarefully and then go to the“How to stop smoking: yourchoice” section on page 16which will help you decide whichmethod to use to give upsmoking.n Use the “How to chew

Nicorette Gum – the NicoretteChewing Technique”instructions which follow. Themethod of chewing is NOT thesame as that for ordinarychewing gum. This way ofchewing ensures that thenicotine is correctly releasedfrom the gum.

n The number of Nicorette Gums you use each day willdepend on how manycigarettes you smoked andhow strong they are. See the

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How to chew NicoretteGum – the NicoretteChewing TechniqueThe method of chewingNicorette Gum is not the same as for ordinary chewing gum.Nicorette Gum is chewed torelease nicotine then rested sothat nicotine can be taken inthrough the lining of the mouth.If Nicorette Gum is chewedcontinuously, the nicotine isreleased too quickly and isswallowed. This may irritate yourthroat, upset your stomach orgive you hiccups.If you have false teeth you mayhave difficulty chewing the gumas Nicorette Gum could stick tothem and on rare occasions,damage dentures. If youexperience a problem, othertypes of nicotine replacementtherapy such as a skin patch,inhalator or microtab may bemore suitable for you.

Adults and Children 12years and over

14 15

• Use only one piece of gum at a time.• Most people use between 8 to 12

gums per day.• Do not use more than 15 gums per day.• Children aged 12 up to 18 years should

not use for longer than 12 weekswithout asking for help and advicefrom a doctor, nurse of pharmacist.

• Adults aged 18 years and over shouldnot use for longer than 9 monthswithout asking for help and advicefrom a doctor, nurse of pharmacist.

Number of Cigarettesyou smoke per day Dose of Gums

20 cigarettesor fewer

One 2 mg gumas required torelieve cravings.

More than20 cigarettes

One 4 mg gumas required torelieve cravings.

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Others who are unable or notready to stop smoking abruptly,may benefit from graduallyreducing the number ofcigarettes they smoke each dayuntil they feel able to stopcompletely. If you are an adult you canfollow either one of theseoptions. However childrenshould follow the guide tostopping immediately as therecommended duration ofnicotine replacement therapy inchildren is 12 weeks maximum.The only time children shouldstop gradually is if they arehaving a problem stoppingimmediately and they should talkto their doctor, nurse orpharmacist beforehand.If you find it hard to stopsmoking using Nicorette Gums,you are worried that you will startsmoking again without them oryou find it difficult to reduce thenumber of Nicorette Gums you

The Nicorette ChewingTechnique

1 Chew slowly until tastebecomes strong.

2 Rest between gum and cheek.3 Chew again when the taste has

faded.

nKeep chewing like this forabout half an hour. After thistime the gum will have lost itsstrength and you shoulddispose of it carefully.

How to stop smoking:your choice Because smoking is an addiction,you may find it difficult to giveup. From time to time you maystill have strong urges to smokebut if you follow theserecommendations, you have agood chance of quitting.Some people may find it easier toset a quit date and stop smokingimmediately.

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are using, talk to your doctor,nurse or pharmacist. RememberNicorette Gums are not intendedas a substitute for smoking, theyare an aid to give up.Use one of the two optionswhich follow.

Stopping ImmediatelyThe idea is to stop smokingimmediately and use the gum torelieve the cravings to smoke.After achieving this you thenstop using the gums.There is a difference in how youstop depending on whether youare aged 12 – 18 years or are 18years or over. Make sure that youfollow the instructions for theage range applicable for you.

Adults aged 18 yearsand overSee the following diagram whichshows the basic step by stepprocess. The times given beloware the longest amount of time

18 19

they should take, and you shouldtry to achieve your move to thenext step in the shortest timepossible.Make sure that you read theinstructions for each step in theinformation which follows.

Step 1: Set a date to quit andstop smoking cigarettes.

Step 2: Use the gum for up to 12weeks (3 months) torelieve your cravings tosmoke. See the dosingtable in “When to useNicorette Gum” on page 14 to decide whichstrength of gum to useand how often you cantake it.

Step 3: Start to reduce thenumber of gums youuse. You should try to

Preparation

Step 1

12 weeks

(3 months)

Step 2

Gradually

reduce usage

Step 3

Time foreachstep

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use fewer pieces of gumeach day. When you areusing only one or twopieces per day, youshould stop completely.

ä If you need to use the productfor longer than 9 months, askyour doctor, nurse or pharmacistfor advice.

ä You might feel a sudden cravingto smoke long after you havegiven up smoking and stoppedusing Nicorette Gum. Rememberyou can use nicotinereplacement therapy again ifthis should happen.

Children aged 12 yearsand overSee the following diagram whichshows the basic step by stepprocess. The times given beloware the longest amount of timethey should take, and you shouldtry to achieve your move to thenext step in the shortest timepossible.

20 21

Make sure that you read theinstructions for each step in theinformation which follows.

Step 1: Set a date to quit andstop smoking cigarettes.

Step 2: Use the gum for 8 weeks(2 months) to relieveyour cravings to smoke.See the dosing table in“When to use NicoretteGum” on page 14 todecide which strength ofgum to use and howoften you can take it.

Step 3: Reduce the number ofgums you use over aperiod of 4 weeks. Youshould try to use fewerpieces of gum each day.When you are using onlyone or two pieces perday, you should stopcompletely.

Preparation

Step 1

8 weeks

Step 2

4 weeks

Step 3

Time foreach step

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step in the shortest time possible.Make sure that you read theinstructions for each step in theinformation which follows.

Step 1: Work out how manycigarettes you smoke perday. Set a date to startreducing the number ofcigarettes you smoke.

Step 2: Start reducing. Over thenext few months, reducethe number of cigarettesyou smoke by usingNicorette Gum when youfeel the urge to smoke,until you feel ready tostop completely. See thedosing table in “When touse Nicorette Gum” onpage 14 to decide whichstrength of gum to useand how often you cantake it.

ä Do not use for longer than 12weeks in total without askingfor help and advice from yourdoctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Stopping GraduallyThe idea is to start by graduallyreplacing some of your cigaretteswith the gum. After achieving thisyou then give up cigarettescompletely while using the gum.Finally, you give up using the gum.There is a difference in how youstop depending on whether youare aged 12 – 18 years or are 18years or over. Make sure that youfollow the instructions for theage range applicable for you.

Adults aged 18 yearsand overSee the following diagram whichshows the basic step by stepprocess. The times given for steps2 and 3 are the longest theyshould take, and you should tryto achieve your move to the next

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24 weeks (6 months)

Step 2

Preparation

Step 1

Time for eachstep

12 weeks (3 months)

Step 3

Graduallyreduce usage

Step 4

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Children aged 12 yearsand overChildren should follow the guideto stopping immediately. Therecommended duration ofnicotine replacement therapy inchildren is 12 weeks maximum.The only time children shouldstop gradually is if they arehaving a problem stoppingimmediately.Talk to your doctor, nurse orpharmacist before attempting tostop gradually.

If you have used toomany gums If you have used more than therecommended dosage you mayexperience nausea (feeling sick),salivation, pain in yourabdomen, diarrhoea, sweating,headache, dizziness, hearingdisturbance or weakness.

ä If after 6 weeks youhave not reduced thenumber of cigarettesyou smoke, ask yourdoctor, nurse orpharmacist for advice.

ä You should aim tostop smokingcompletely by sixmonths from thebeginning of treatment.

Step 3: Stop smoking. Cut out allcigarettes and continueusing the gum for up to3 months to relieve yourcravings to smoke.

Step 4: Start reducing the use ofthe gum. You should tryto use fewer pieces ofgum each day. When youare using only one ortwo pieces per day, youshould stop completely.

ä If you need to use the productfor longer than 9 months, askyour doctor, nurse or pharmacistfor advice.24 25

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they can also occur whennicotine is obtained by smoking.

Effects related to stopping smoking (nicotine withdrawal)

You may experience unwantedeffects because by stoppingsmoking you have reduced theamount of nicotine you are taking.You may also experience theseeffects if you under use NicoretteGum before you are ready toreduce your nicotine intake.These effects include:n irritability or aggressionn feeling lown anxietyn restlessnessn poor concentrationn increased appetite or weight gainn urges to smoke (craving)n night time awakening or sleep

disturbancen lowering of heart rate

ä If you do get any of theseeffects contact a doctor or yournearest hospital Accident andEmergency departmentimmediately. Take this leafletand the pack with you.

If a child has used orswallowed the gums

ä Contact a doctor or your nearesthospital Accident and Emergencydepartment immediately if a childunder 12 years uses, chews orswallows this medicine. Take thisleaflet and the pack with you.Nicotine ingestion by a child mayresult in severe poisoning.

4 Possible side-effectsLike all medicines, Nicorette Gumcan have side-effects. As many ofthe effects are due to nicotine,

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n jaw-muscle achen stomach discomfortn feeling sick (nausea)n hiccups

Common side-effects:(less than 1 in every 10 peopleare affected)n dizzinessn sickness (vomiting)

Uncommon side-effects:(less than 1 in every 100 peopleare affected)n hives (urticaria)n redness or itching of the skinn chest palpitations

Rare side-effects:(less than 1 in every 1,000 peopleare affected)n allergic reactions (swelling of

the mouth, lips, throat andtongue, itching of the skin,swelling of skin, ulcerationand inflammation of the liningof the mouth).

Effects of too much nicotineYou may also get these effects ifyou are not used to inhalingtobacco smoke.These effects include:n feeling faintn feeling sick (nausea)n headachen hiccupping (due to excessive

swallowing of nicotine)

Side-effects of NicoretteGum

Nicorette Gum can sometimescause a slight irritation of thethroat at the start of thetreatment. It may also causeincreased salivation. The gum mayoccasionally stick to dentures andin rare cases damage them.

Very common side-effects:(more than 1 in every 10 peopleare affected)n headachen sore mouth or throat

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n Do not use the gum after the‘Use before’ date on the box orblister strip.

n Dispose of Nicorette Gumsensibly away from childrenand animals.

6 Furtherinformation

What’s in this medicine?The active ingredient is: 2 mgNicotine.Other ingredients in Nicorette 2 mg Gum are: Chewing gumbase, sorbitol, sodium carbonate,sodium bicarbonate, polacrilin,glycerol, flavourings and talc. Thechewing gum base containsbutylated hydroxy toluene (E321),an anti-oxidant.Other ingredients in NicoretteMint 2 mg Gum are: Chewinggum base, xylitol, sodium

Very rare side-effects:(less than 1 in 10,000 people areaffected)

n abnormal beating of the heartä If you notice these or any other

unwanted effects not listed inthis leaflet tell your doctor, nurseor pharmacist.

ä When you stop smoking you mayalso develop mouth ulcers. Thereason why this happens isunknown.

5 Storing anddisposaln Keep Nicorette Gum out of

reach and sight of childrenand animals. Nicotine in highdoses can be very dangerousand sometimes fatal if takenby small children.

n Do not store Nicorette Gumabove 25°C.

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Freshmint) or 210 pieces(Original and Freshmint). Not allpack sizes may be marketed.

Who makes Nicorette Gum?The Product Licence holder isMcNeil Products Ltd, Maidenhead,Berkshire, SL6 3UG, UK.The manufacturer is McNeil AB,Helsingborg, Sweden.

This leaflet was revised in January 2008.©

7 Helpful tips on giving upYou may have tried to stopsmoking before and you knowfrom bitter experience that it’snot easy to give up cigarettes.However, you have now taken thefirst constructive step towardsbecoming a non-smoker. Inovercoming your tobacco

carbonate, peppermint oil,menthol, polacrilin, magnesiumoxide, sodium bicarbonate andtalc. The chewing gum basecontains butylated hydroxyltoluene (E321), an anti-oxidant.Other ingredients in NicoretteFreshmint 2 mg Gum are:Chewing gum base, xylitol,acesulfame potassium, sodiumcarbonate, peppermint oil,menthol, polacrilin, magnesiumoxide, sodium bicarbonate,titanium dioxide E171 (whitecolour), talc, acacia and carnaubawax. The chewing gum basecontains butylated hydroxyltoluene (E321), an anti-oxidant.None of the gums contain sugar(sucrose) or animal products.

What the medicine looks likeThe gums are blister packed insheets of 6, 10 or 15 andsupplied in packs of 10 or 12pieces (Freshmint), 15, 30 or 105pieces (Original, Mint and

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which you are going to give upcigarettes completely, or startreducing the amount of cigarettesyou smoke. Try to pick a daywhen you will not be too stressed.

2 Break your routineFor a number of years you will havebecome accustomed to smoking atcertain times, with particular peopleor in certain situations. Think aboutthe times you will miss smoking themost and plan how you will copeon these occasions. Changing yourroutine will help you break thehabit of smoking.

3 Quit with a friendQuitting with a fellow smoker is agood idea. It will strengthen yourresolve and build on yourdetermination.Encourage a friend or familymember to quit with you. It willgive your morale a boost since therewill be another person knowingexactly what you’re feeling andwith whom you can share your

35

dependence you will have totackle two problems:1 Your smoking habit.2 Your addiction to nicotine.

WillpowerThe overriding success factor inquitting is how determined youare. The first few weeks ofquitting or reducing the numberof cigarettes you smoke willprobably be the most difficultbecause your smoking ritual is stillfresh in your mind.However, you will find that as timegoes by, your willpower becomesstronger. Telling friends, family andwork colleagues that you have quitsmoking and that you envisage atough time ahead will encouragethem to support you.

1 Pick the right dayThere is never a perfect time togive up smoking, but you shouldplan ahead by choosing a date inthe not too distant future on

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thought helps.

6 Distract yourselfWhenever you feel the urge tosmoke coming on, distract yourselfby keeping active. Don’t feel sorryfor yourself. Get up and dosomething. Do that job around thehouse or garden that you’ve beenputting off or take up a hobby.Remember that the craving onlylasts a few minutes.

7 Learn to relaxOnce you have stopped smoking,taking exercise regularly will notonly help you get fitter but willencourage you to relax. Exercisehas the ability to relieve stress andtension. Taken regularly it willbenefit you physically andpsychologically.If you haven’t exercised for sometime, take it slowly to begin withand increase the amount of timespent exercising over the course ofa few weeks. Not only will

37

resolve to quit smoking.

4 Remove any temptationTo help yourself succeed be sure toremove all cigarettes, matches,lighters etc. from your home, carand work. Ask your friends andcolleagues not to offer youcigarettes or smoke close by youbut be careful not to offend them.Explain that you have given up.This type of support from friendsis of greatest benefit for the firstcouple of weeks of quitting, asthis is your most vulnerable time.The last thing you want is acigarette close at hand in amoment of weakness.

5 Take one day at a timeWhen you reach your Quit Day,don’t allow yourself to think thatyou’re quitting for good. That willmake it seem like a superhumantask. Just promise yourself “Iwon’t have a cigarette today” andtake it one day at a time. You’llbe surprised how much that little

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think of it as having failed, justthink through the reasons whyyou wanted to quit in the firstplace and don’t let those coupleof cigarettes get the better ofyou. Refer back to your plan andstart again. You can beat it!

10 If you don’t succeedGiving up is more difficult forsome people than others.If you fail to stop first time,don’t be disheartened. Try againat a later date – you can do it!Remember the most successfullong term ex-smokers haveusually had to try several timesto stop smoking – if you don’tsucceed – quit quit again.

For further information Read about Nicorette ActiveStopoverleaf. This is a personalisedsupport programme which workswith Nicorette to support you, withthe aim of helping you give upsmoking. All you need is internetaccess and a mobile telephone.

exercising help you relax but it alsohelps to keep your weight undercontrol, which some people find aproblem when quitting.

8 Think cash not ash

One of the really noticeablebenefits of ‘stopping’ is the extracash that’s suddenly available. Toemphasise the point put themoney into a pot marked ‘cashnot ash’ and watch it accumulate.But be sure to use the money totreat yourself. You deserve areward for not smoking.

9 Dealing with relapsesYou might find that in times ofstress, reaching for a cigarette isthe only thing that will help youthrough. There may also becertain situations – particularlysocial situations such as a party orin the pub – where temptationjust gets the better of you, so yousmoke one or two cigarettes. Youmight feel that your only option isto go back to smoking. Don’t

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4140

Personalised support programme

Enrol on the internet or callnow on 0800 244 838.

How can ActiveStop help me?

ä Nicorette ActiveStop is an advanced,interactive online programme withmobile phone support. It has beendevised by experts and is based onproven scientific principles, to helpyou give up smoking for good.

ä It has been specially designed to beused alongside Nicorette and is onhand 24 hours a day through theinternet and your mobile phone.

ä Nicorette works with your body tohelp you deal with the physicalcraving for nicotine, whilstActiveStop gives you practical dailysupport coaching you all the wayuntil you've stopped smoking.

Call now on 0800 244 838.

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What will I get?On your personalised ActiveStop webpages you’ll have access to:

DiaryThrough a series of daily tasks, we’llguide you through managing yourthoughts, feelings and behaviour andhow you can plan each day so that youare ready to face whatever arises.

Progress MonitorThe Progress Monitor brings togetherall of the headway you are making inone easy-to-view place. From howmuch money you’re saving, to healthfacts and fitness levels, it will keep youmotivated throughout the programme.

Today’s ArticlesDaily articles cover a range of topicsfrom the changes your body is under-going to tips to cope with theinevitable cravings.

And the Craving Help-LineIf ever you feel the urge to smoke youcan call anytime day or night and byselecting the kind of problem you areexperiencing, you’ll be able to listen torelevant, on-the-spot advice.

Call now on 0800 244 838.

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