Researchers are closing in on tobacco from 2 directions; therapy and genetics, according to reports at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco [San Diego, US; March 1999]. Replacement therapy with gum or patches containing nicotine remains the most common strategy for smoking cessation. But how well are these treatments working now that they are available over-the-counter (OTC)? Very well, according to some of the first studies looking at the use of nicotine replacement in the ‘real world’ OTC setting.