Short-term effects of nicotine gum.

Based on these approaches, several types of medications, such as taste adulterants, stimulants, and tranquilizers have been tested as aids to smoking cessation (Kozlowski, in press; Raw 1978; Grabowski and Hall, this volume). Most of these medications have not been efficacious. Nicotine chewing gum is the exception (Hughes and Miller 1984). The major hypotheses to explain the efficacy of nicotine gum are that the gum substitutes for the reinforcing effects of cigarettes or that the gum relieves tobacco withdrawal symptoms.