Integrating transdermal nicotine therapy into nicotine fading treatments: Effects on salivary cotinine levels.

Abstract

Many stop-smoking programs wean smokers off nicotine by using nicotine fading procedures and nicotine replacement products. It has not been clear how best to integrate these 2 weaning methods. This study measured salivary cotinine levels produced by nicotine fading and by subsequent use of 2 strengths of nicotine patches. The results were used to address the question of which strength nicotine patch to give a smoker who had completed a nicotine fading procedure. The study found that after a nicotine fading procedure, nicotine replacement dosing strength could be matched to postfading cotinine levels by using baseline cigarettes per day.