for a no-pain, quick-fix solution to their addiction -- which doesn't exist.

While quitting cold turkey may be the most direct route to a smoke-free life, not everyone has the willpower to carry it through, so many are turning to what "the patch'' or nicotine chewing gum in the hope that it alone will be the great cure-all.

They will be wrong.

"The patch is not a panacea. It is only one aspect of a smoking cessation programme,'' staff pharmacist at the King Edward VII Hospital, Mr. Richard Briggs, explained.

The story is exactly the same for nicotine chewing gum. "The purpose of both is to replace the nicotine normally ingested through cigarettes in a way that does not harm the lungs,'' he said.

Both gradually reduce the physical craving for nicotine.

Patches are stuck to the skin and come in different strengths, with the smoker gradually progressing from a strong dose to weaker ones over a three-month period. They are applied to the upper torso, and moved to a different location each day to minimise the risk of irritation.

The pharmacist noted the patch system should not be used for longer than three months at a time. If they are used in conjunction with cigarettes they can be fatal.

Gum allows nicotine to be absorbed into the body through the lining of the mouth. However, it is not designed to be chewed in the same way regular chewing gum is.

`You are really only supposed to chew it until you feel a tingling sensation.

When that happens, the gum should be `parked' in the mouth until the sensation subsides, and then you can resume chewing,'' Mr. Briggs said. "It's a cyclical process which you have to think consciously about.'' Not everyone is aware that nicotine is a poison, and that cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals. Nor do they realise smoking is a powerful behavioural habit, which is why patches are not a total answer.

Indeed, manufacturers of patch products declare in their accompanying literature that patients should receive with their first prescription a support kit containing guidelines on changing smoking behaviour, guidelines for friends and family on how to be supportive and a motivational audiotape.

PATCHING UP! King Edward VII Memorial Hospital staff pharmacist Mr. Richard Briggs demonstrates the patch to health co-ordinator Mrs. Ivena Laurenceo.