J Mal Vascul
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Tobacco use causes enormous morbidity and mortality because of the high risk of smoking-related diseases and the high prevalence of cigarette smoking. Existing smoking cessation methods only help motivated smokers who are ready to quit, but the vast majority of smokers are pre-contemplators who are neither ready nor willing to attempt to quit. This means that a high proportion of smokers are not adequately served by current strategies for treating tobacco dependence. ⋯ The corresponding reduction in exposure is associated with tangible health benefits, measured using surrogate markers. Smoking reduction also promotes abstinence in smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking abruptly. NRT is well tolerated for smoking reduction, and nicotine intake does not increase during concomitant use of NRT and smoking.