NICODERM®/NICORETTE® Combination Therapy Trial Offer

Combining medication like nicotine replacement therapy (like nicotine gum or the patch) with counselling support from Smokers’ Helpline is proven to greatly improve a smoker’s chances of quitting smoking successfully.

We also know that it is making quit attempts – trying and trying again – that gets smokers to their goal of staying smoke-free for good.

We hope that getting a trial pack of patches and gum and a discount coupon will be just the incentive smokers need to make a quit attempt and to learn more about nicotine replacement therapy and the great free support Smokers’ Helpline has to offer.

Eligible quitters who provide all the necessary ordering information will receive a nicotine replacement combination therapy trial pack including:

• 2 NICODERM® Step 1 patches (21 mg);
• 1 sleeve of 15 NICORETTE® Fresh Fruit Gums (2 mg);
• A discount coupon for $10 off the purchase of any two participating NICORETTE® or NICORETTE® products; and
• An information card on combination therapy

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson Inc., makers of NICORETTE® and NICODERM® are sponsoring Canadian Cancer Society to be able to offer nicotine replacement combination therapy trial packs through Smokers’ Helpline. We thank them for their support.

No personal information of those receiving trial packs will ever be shared with our sponsor.

When you receive your trial pack, carefully read the package insert for specific and important information about whether and how to use the nicotine product, including any possible side effects you might experience. If you are not sure the product is right for you, or if you experience any negative side effects or a change in your health/medical condition (e.g., become pregnant, start using new medications, etc.), it is recommended that you stop using the products contained in the trial pack and speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

PLEASE NOTE: some health care providers may recommend Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) – like nicotine gum or the patch – to those who do not meet the qualifications in the package insert. We encourage you to speak to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if NRT might be right for you.

The number one reason people do not receive their trial pack is if they have already recently received a trial package from SampleSource (via Smokers’ Helpline or any other source).

If this is not the case and you submitted your order more than 6 weeks ago, you can call Smokers’ Helpline at 1-866-641-7675 to request that a trial pack be re-shipped.

Please note, Smokers' Helpline provides counselling and support services in PEI, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Yukon.  If you reside outside of those provinces you still may receive the Trial Pack Offer. Please register on our website or call 1-866-641-7675 to speak to one of our Quit coaches.

The extra questions are asked of everyone and they make sure that each person meets the specific requirements that are recommended in packages of NICODERM® (patch) and NICORETTE®(gum).

In the package insert for NICODERM®, it outlines “Who should not use NICODERM® patches”. It states:

You should not use NICODERM® patches if you:

• Are an occasional or non-smoker.
• Are under 18 years of age.
• Are pregnant or nursing.
• Have a generalized skin condition (e.g. hives, rash).
• Are allergic to nicotine.

In the package insert for NICORETTE® Gum, it outlines “when it should not be used”. It states:

You should not use NICORETTE® Gum if you:

• Are an occasional or non-smoker
• Are pregnant or nursing
• Are under 18 years of age
• Have a jaw disorder, such as temporomandibular joint disorder
• Are allergic to nicotine or to any of the non-medicinal ingredients in the product

PLEASE NOTE: Some health care providers may recommend Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) like nicotine gum or the nicotine patch to those who do not meet these qualifications.

Even if you do not meet the qualifications above, we encourage you to speak to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) might be right for you.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy or NRT is a medical product that works by reducing cravings while quitting smoking. Each product is available in different doses and your pharmacist or other health care provider can advise on the correct dose for you.

NRT is currently available in 5 forms: patch, inhaler, oral spray, gum and lozenge. Each is available without a prescription at your drugstore.

NICODERM® and NICORETTE® are brands of nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT. NICORETTE® and NICODERM® are brands of McNeil Consumer Health Care, a division of Johnson & Johnson Inc.

The trial pack offer we are making available is a combination of NICODERM® nicotine replacement patch (2 “Step 1”, 21 mg patches) and 1 sleeve of 15 NICORETTE® Fresh Fruit nicotine replacement gum (2mg).

NRT allows controlled amounts of nicotine, the addictive ingredient in cigarettes and other tobacco products, to enter the blood stream to help to ease your cravings.

When used properly, NRT acts as a substitute for the nicotine product you are addicted to, and gradually reduces the amount of nicotine entering your body. Using NRT can help you to wean yourself off of your dependence on nicotine.

NRT allows you to have your “nicotine fix” in controlled amounts, without inhaling the dangerous chemicals that are in a cigarette. They are much safer than tobacco because they do not cause cancer, respiratory diseases, or many other health issues caused by tobacco use.

In the package insert for NICODERM®, it states: “Check with your doctor or pharmacist before using NICODERM patches if you are taking any prescription drugs or have had any of the following:

• a heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)
• high blood pressure
• thyroid problems
• stomach problems
• treatment of circulation disorders of the brain
• heart disease
• skin diseases
• rashes from adhesive tape or bandages
• allergies to drugs
• heart pain (angina)
• stroke
• kidney or liver disease
• stomach ulcers
• diabetes requiring insulin
• a tumor of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)
• inflammation of the esophagus  

In the package insert for NICORETTE® Gum, it states: “Before you use NICORETTE® Gum talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have or have had:

 • Heart Problems
• Thyroid problems
• Treatment for circulation problems of the brain
• Stomach problems, stomach ulcer or esophagitis
• Throat, mouth or dental problems
• Angina
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Irregular heart beat
• High blood pressure
• A tumor of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)
• Kidney or liver problems
• Diabetes, because you may need to monitor your blood sugar levels more closely than normal when you stop smoking and use this product
• Coronary artery disease

Your doctor or pharmacist can help you decide if NRT is right for you. The type of NRT you should use may depend on your level of addiction, smoking habits and other factors that your doctor may identify.

Please note that some health care providers may recommend NRT like nicotine gum or the patch to those who do not meet the qualifications in the package insert. We encourage you to speak to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if NRT might be right for you.

Using NRT like a patch can be used for “pre-quitting”. For example you can wear an NRT patch while gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked over two weeks, leading up to a quit date (when you stop smoking completely).

Read the information in your NRT package, or call a Smokers’ Helpline Quit Coach at 1-877-513-5333 for more information. If you are in Ontario, phone support is provided by Telehealth Ontario Care Coaches at 1-866-797-0000

Be sure to read the information in your NRT package about how to use NRT correctly. Tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are using NRT.

If you are using NRT while trying to quit smoking but slip up and have a cigarette, you should not stop using NRT. You should keep using it and keep trying to quit.

Smokers’ Helpline Quit Coaches can answer questions you have about NRT and combining NRT with counselling support like from Smokers’ Helpline is proven to greatly improve a quitter’s chances of quitting smoking successfully. You can reach a non-judgemental Quit Coach by calling 1-877-513-5333, or the number on cigarette packages. If you are in Ontario, phone support is provided by Telehealth Ontario Care Coaches at 1-866-797-0000. All services are provided free of charge!

“Combination therapy” is when you use an NRT patch plus another NRT product like gum to improve your chances of quitting successfully.

Combination therapy works by combining a nicotine patch, that gives you a steady dose of nicotine through out the day, with another fast-acting product like nicotine gum for when you have a difficult craving.

You may still get some cravings but the NRT combination helps reduce nicotine withdrawals such as cravings, difficulty concentrating, frustration, restlessness and anxiety.

As soon as you wake up each morning, apply the NICODERM® patch on your skin. It slowly begins to release nicotine into your body. When you get a craving, or when you think you’ll get one, take a fast-acting nicotine product such as a piece of NICORETTE® gum. The nicotine patch gives you a steady dose of nicotine throughout the day, whereas the nicotine gum gives you a hit when you would normally have smoked.

If you use each product correctly, there are generally no side effects. There is less nicotine in NRT products, compared to cigarettes, so it’s extremely unlikely you’ll get too much nicotine.

To learn more, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or to a Smokers' Helpline Quit Coach.