Nicotine patches come in several steps so that users can phase out nicotine use; for example, 21, 14, and 7 mg. A cigarette delivers roughly 1 mg of nicotine, so someone who used to smoke a pack (20 cigarettes) per day or more could start with the "step 1" 21mg patch, while someone who smoked less could start with "step 2."

After several weeks (6 is recommended) at step 1, new non-smokers move on to step 2 (usually 2 weeks). and step 3 (2 weeks). For most users, there are few or no short-term health problems associated with using the patch, so users should not rush themselves through the steps; rather, users can phase out nicotine use on their own schedules.