ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nicotine replacement therapy

Okay kiddo, so sometimes grown-ups like to smoke or use other things that have nicotine in them. Nicotine is a kind of drug that can make you feel good but it’s also very bad for your health. So, some grown-ups decide they want to quit smoking or using nicotine, but it’s hard to stop all at once. That’s where nicotine replacement therapy comes in.

Nicotine replacement therapy is a way to help grown-ups who want to quit smoking or using nicotine. It works by giving them small amounts of nicotine in a different way that’s not as bad for their health. Some ways that people can get nicotine without smoking are by using things like gum, patches, lozenges, or inhalers. These are kind of like toys or tools that help grown-ups quit smoking.

The gum is just like regular gum, but it has nicotine in it. Patches are stickers that go on the skin and slowly release nicotine into the body. Lozenges are little candies that have nicotine in them too. Inhalers are like toys that you can breathe in and out of, but they also have nicotine in them.

These things all work to help the grown-ups slowly quit smoking or using nicotine. They can use them instead of smoking so they still get a little bit of nicotine, but it’s not as bad for their health. And over time, they can use less and less of these tools until they don’t need them at all.

So, remember kiddo, nicotine replacement therapy is a way to help grown-ups quit smoking or using nicotine by giving them small amounts of nicotine in a different way that’s not as bad for their health.