The name really says it all. A nicotine patch is a nicotine impregnated patch of sticking plaster that when attached to a persons' arm (the usual place for it), nicotine gets absorbed through the skin and into the persons bloodstream, which then subsequently gives the person the same feelings obtained through the smoking of a cigarette - euphoria and/or relaxation!

Having been made fully aware of the previously unknown but deadly health problems associated with the smoking of tobacco products, there's been great effort, investigations and funding for introducing various aids and products for helping people refrain from smoking.

Suffice to say that the most prominent product of the last few decades and still going strong is the nicotine patch. There are a variety of different types and there are numerous people who declare to have successfully quit smoking for good as a result of their use.

So what do they do and how do they work?

A nicotine patch attached to your skin will supposedly satiate your nicotine monster (the nicotine craving) without the need to actually smoke a cigarette, so you won't be breathing in all the tar, carbon monoxide and other lethal things your poor lungs would normally have to cope with.

The logic surrounding the whole idea of the nicotine patch is you'll overcome the oral need of a cigarette in your mouth and then you can take the next step of progressively weaning yourself off the nicotine patches too.

Remember though, nicotine is a toxic and very addictive substance which does have an adverse effect on your heart and your brain which of course means that although they'll help stop you sucking a cigarette, wearing a patch is just not going to halt all of the health-destroying effects of smoking.

Also, more often than not, when it becomes time to begin gradually cutting out the patches, you start feeling the old cravings again and there's only two ways of fixing that - apply a nicotine patch or have a cigarette again.

Going back to the nasty habit of smoking is actually fairly common because it seems to be the easiest option and the nicotine patches are simply "just not the same".

Well as you now probably realise, though they're maybe better than nothing at all when it comes to an aid for stopping smoking and can often demonstrate to be of use, nicotine patches are still not the ideal thing for a lot of heavy smokers who want to quit completely and for good.

In summary; nicotine patches are simply not always the helpful aid that they initially appear to be but there are alternative products that'll help and even though you're bound to find it a little tough at first, being able to kick the habit is much easier than you think YOU ONLY HAVE TO WANT TO!

Quitting smoking naturally, speedily, and permanently isn't and has never been about overly complicated systems and/or poisonous pills and patches - it's all about simplicity, a little bit of will-power and some genuine tried and tested tobacco-quitting knowledge.