Well, guess I can chime in here. My husband quit a year or so before me and he used the patch. After smoking for 50 years.
I quit and also used the patch (35 years). Yes, it is nicotine, but if the directions are followed it slowly decreases the levels.

Could we both have quit cold turkey. Probably, but I wanted every edge I could get to help me on my way. (kinda'like using everthing we can to fight cancer)It worked for me (2 packs a day) and it worked for him (3 packs a day).

Guess it's like everything else we talk about on this board. Everyone is different, and I'd hate for someone to feel like a "wimp", just because they didn't go "cold turkey"

Dinah