Patches, gum or a breathing tool: what helps quit vaping?

Patches, gum and a breathing tool do different jobs. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) handles nicotine withdrawal. A breathing tool handles the hand-to-mouth habit and the craving in front of you. Support, such as Quitline, handles the plan and the wobbles. None covers the other two jobs, so most people do best combining them. NRT has by far the most evidence, nearly all of it from smokers: across 136 trials, it raised long-term quit rates by about 50 to 60% (Cochrane 2018). For vaping the evidence is thin. A 2025 Cochrane review of 15 studies found the data on combination NRT for quitting vaping inconclusive (Butler et al. 2025).

What NRT does, and how to get it in New Zealand

NRT gives you nicotine without the vape. The patch is a steady background dose. Gum, lozenges and mouth spray are the quick top-up. Health NZ says a patch plus gum, lozenges or spray is "safe and more effective to use together", and to stick with NRT for at least 8 to 12 weeks (Health NZ). Cochrane agrees: a patch plus a fast-acting form beats either alone, across 68 studies and 43,327 people (Theodoulou et al. 2023).

Three ways to get it:

  • Quitline, free on 0800 778 778 or text 4006. It provides subsidised patches, gum and lozenges and helps people quit smoking or vaping (Quitline listing on Healthpoint, May 2026). Close to 16,000 people used it last year, about 4,000 of them to quit vaping (Whakarongorau Aotearoa, May 2026). Its advice goes to your pharmacy, which dispenses the NRT (Health NZ). You pay the prescription charge, up to $5 an item, and nothing if you are under 14, 65 or over, or hold a Community Services Card (Health NZ co-payments).
  • Your local Stop Smoking Service, where patches, gum and lozenges are free (Health NZ). They are funded for smoking, so ask whether yours takes vapers; if not, use Quitline.
  • A GP or pharmacist. Patches are pharmacist-only, sold over the counter after a short chat. At full price, 7 Nicorette patches were $20.99 for 15 mg and $23.99 for 25 mg at Chemist Warehouse on 23 October 2026 (15 mg, 25 mg).

In January 2026 Medsafe approved New Zealand's first vaping-specific NRT product, with an indication for treating nicotine vaping dependence (Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ, 30 January 2026).

Dosing when you do not know your nicotine intake

Most people who vape cannot say how much nicotine they get through in a day, so guidance uses behaviour instead. The UK label for Nicorette patches recommends 25 mg for heavy vapers, meaning people who vape frequently or use high-strength e-liquid, and 15 mg as the starting point for light to moderate vapers, who vape infrequently or use low-strength e-liquid (Nicorette Invisi patch, UK product information, revised 1 October 2026). The New Zealand label may differ, so check with your pharmacist. If you feel queasy at first, Health NZ's advice is to reduce the dose until you adjust (Health NZ).

What a breathing tool does, and does not do

A breathing tool is a tube you breathe through slowly, like a straw. In a randomised trial of 96 abstaining smokers, a breathing exercise significantly reduced urge and craving strength straight afterwards (Shahab et al. 2013), and controlled deep breathing reduced withdrawal symptoms, including craving and irritability, in dependent smokers (McClernon et al. 2004). Habit researchers describe habits as context-response links and say a competing response beats suppression (Wood and Neal 2016). A tool worn where the vape used to live keeps the motion and drops the nicotine.

What it does not do: take nicotine out of the equation. The relief in the Shahab trial was gone by the next day, so you use it at every craving, not once. It is not a proven standalone way to stay quit, and the trials are on smokers, not vapers. The Inhalace V2 is one option: a nicotine-free necklace you breathe through, with a flavoured Spice Stick insert, $49.99 with 3 pack refills at $9.99. We compared the devices in Quit-vaping devices in NZ compared.

Side by side

Nicotine patch, gum or lozenge

  • Job: nicotine withdrawal. The patch for the background, gum or a lozenge for the spikes.
  • Cost in NZ: free at a Stop Smoking Service; up to $5 an item via Quitline or a GP; $21 to $24 for 7 patches at full retail.
  • Where: Quitline, Stop Smoking Service, GP, pharmacist; gum is also in supermarkets.
  • Evidence: strong for smoking; inconclusive so far for vaping.

Breathing tool

  • Job: the hand-to-mouth habit and the next few minutes of a craving.
  • Cost in NZ: $0 for a straw to about $50 one-off for a necklace, plus refills.
  • Where: online, or the kitchen drawer.
  • Evidence: reduces craving in the moment in trials of smokers; not a proven standalone quit method.

How to combine them

  1. Two weeks out, call Quitline, so the NRT is sorted before your quit date.
  2. Patch for the background, gum or lozenge for the spikes.
  3. Breathing tool at every cue. Coffee, the car, smoko. Five slow breaths through it, then carry on.
  4. Check in at week two. Climbing the walls? The dose may be too low. Queasy? Too high. Back to the pharmacist.
  5. Keep NRT going 8 to 12 weeks and step down with your pharmacist. Keep the breathing tool longer: new routines take about 18 days to several months to feel automatic (Lally et al., cited in Wood and Neal 2016).

The full eight-step plan is in How to quit vaping in NZ.

General information, not medical advice. Inhalace is not a medical device and does not treat or cure anything. For personalised help, talk to your GP, pharmacist or Quitline on 0800 778 778.

FAQ

Can I get nicotine patches for vaping in New Zealand?

Yes. Patches, gum and lozenges are available through Quitline (0800 778 778), your GP or a pharmacist, with the standard prescription charge of up to $5 an item through the subsidised routes, and free at a Stop Smoking Service. In January 2026 Medsafe approved New Zealand's first NRT product with a specific indication for nicotine vaping dependence.

What strength nicotine patch should I use if I vape?

The UK label for Nicorette patches recommends 25 mg for people who vape frequently or use high-strength e-liquid, and 15 mg as the starting point for people who vape infrequently or use low-strength e-liquid. Confirm with a New Zealand pharmacist, and reduce the dose for a while if you feel queasy.

Is a breathing necklace better than nicotine patches?

They do different jobs. Patches handle nicotine withdrawal and have strong evidence for smoking. A breathing necklace handles the hand-to-mouth habit and the next few minutes of a craving, and is not a proven standalone quit method. Most people do best using both, with free support from Quitline.

How much does nicotine replacement cost in New Zealand?

Free at a Stop Smoking Service. Through Quitline, a GP or a pharmacist you pay the prescription charge, up to $5 an item, and nothing if you are under 14, over 65 or hold a Community Services Card. At full retail, a 7 pack of 15 mg patches was $20.99 at Chemist Warehouse in October 2026.

Sources

Person wearing an Inhalace breathing necklace
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