Nicotine relapse problems

Interventions are more effective when they last greater than 10 minutes, involve contact with a professional, provide at least four to seven sessions, and provide nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT). Group and individual counseling is effective, and interventions are more successful when they include social support and training in problem-solving, stress management, and relapse prevention. 

Nicotine withdrawal is mild compared with opioid withdrawal and involves irritability and sleep problems. However, nicotine is among the most addictive drugs (relative risk = 4), and relapse after attempted cessation is very common. 

Although behavioral programs are effective relative to placebo or standard care comparison treatments, the majority of individuals who complete such programs resume smoking after six months to one year (Shiffman, 1993). This problem of relapse has been attributed to the cravings that smokers experience when they abstain from smoking or from other ways of ingesting nicotine. 

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