Nicotine inhalator
Key points about nicotine inhalators
- A nicotine mouth spray helps prevent cravings or urge to smoke.
- Nicotine inhalator is also called Nicorette® 15 mg Inhalator.
- Find out how to use it safely and possible side effects.

The nicotine inhalator is available as Nicorette® 15 mg Inhalator (each pack contains a plastic tube and 20 cartridges).
This is a plastic tube with a nicotine capsule inside it. So when you puff on it, the air flows through the capsule and brings nicotine into your mouth. You can hold it like a cigarette so it's useful for keeping your hands busy.
Image credit: StartRightNRT
- Use it whenever you have the urge to smoke.
- When you have a craving take a shallow puff about every 4 seconds or take 2 deep puffs every minute.
- Use it regularly.
- A single 15 mg cartridge lasts for approximately 40 minutes of continuous use.
- Most people find they need to use 3 to 6 cartridges per day.
- Line up the markers and pull each end in the opposite direction
- Insert the cartridge into the plastic tube (mouthpiece) and twist to close.
- Draw in air through the mouthpiece.
- The amount of nicotine from 1 puff of the cartridge is less than that from a cigarette; inhale more often than when smoking a cigarette (8–10 times as many puffs as when smoking a cigarette).
Video: Nicotine replacement therapy – inhalator
(Te Whatu Ora | Health Promotion, NZ, 2024)
te reo Māori version(external link)
This video is also available with transcripts in Samoan and Tongan.
Video: Inhaler
(StartRightNRT, 2013)
- Avoid acidic drinks (eg, coffee or fruit juice) for 15 minutes before inhaling a puff from the cartridge.
- Using 2 NRT products (eg, a combination of patches and oral preparations – the inhalator is an oral preparation) is more effective than using 1.
Here are some things to know when you're using the inhalator. Other things may be important as well, so ask your healthcare provider what you should know about.
- Before starting to use an inhalator let your healthcare provider know if you have any of the following conditions or you have worsening symptoms of:
- obstructive lung disease, chronic throat disease, or bronchospastic disease
- oesophagitis, gastritis, or peptic ulcers.
- Avoid acidic drinks (eg, coffee or fruit juice) for 15 minutes before inhaling a puff from the cartridge.
- Using 2 NRT products (eg, a combination of patches and oral preparations) is more effective than using 1.
Like all medicines, NRT can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them and serious side effects are very rare. Side effects may be similar to smoking withdrawal symptoms which should disappear within 4 weeks. Often side effects improve as your body gets used to the new medicine.
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Read more about medicines and side effects and reporting a reaction you think might be a side effect.
Nicotine replacement therapy (external link)Patient information leaflet NZ Formulary
Nicorette® Nicotine Inhalator(external link) Nicorette NZ
Resources
5 questions to ask about your medications(external link) Health Quality and Safety Commission, NZ, 2019 English(external link), te reo Māori(external link)
References
- Nicorette Inhalator(external link) Product Datasheet Medsafe, NZ, 2019
- Nicotine(external link) NZ Formulary, 2022
- The New Zealand Guidelines for Helping People to Stop Smoking Update(external link) Ministry of Health, NZ, 2021
Brochures
Medicines and side effects
Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ, 2024
Health Quality and Safety Commission, NZ, 2019 English, te reo Māori
Credits: Healthify He Puna Waiora editorial team. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.
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