Stop smoking treatments can be divided into two major categories: medications that are nicotine-based and those that do not make use of the said substance.

The first type of stop smoking treatment falls under the nicotine replacement category. Products of this class are designed to aid in the cessation process by providing a small quantity of nicotine to the body to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms experienced by a smoker once he reduces and/or stops using cigarettes. One example of this treatment is the nicotine patch. This product is attached to clean and dry skin to deliver a regulated amount of nicotine into the bloodstream. Furthermore, a person has to wear a new patch everyday for around eight weeks before positive results can be seen. Another nicotine-based treatment comes in the form of a gum. A nicotine gum releases the said substance through the mouth. Individuals are advised to chew 10 up to 15 pieces daily for one to three months. Generally, both patches and gum are purchasable over-the-counter. Aside from these products, other nicotine-based treatments include nasal sprays and inhalers. Both of which are available only by prescription and have a quicker delivery system than gum and patches.

Moving on, the second type of stop smoking treatments, usually called non-nicotine medications, help an individual to break the habit through a different approach. Bupropion, for instance, is an antidepressant drug that increases the amount of a chemical in the brain known as dopamine, which is the same substance heightened by nicotine. Apart from this treatment, another recent drug for smoking cessation is Varenicline. This treatment eases the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, this drug prevents a person from smoking again by blocking the effects of nicotine.