Many smokers have kicked the habit only to get hooked on something that was supposed to help: nicotine chewing gum. Just how dangerous is it?

Nicotine gum is FDA-approved, and it’s safe and effective for many people as a smoking cessation aid. However, it comes with potential side effects. Here are some possible adverse acute and long-term effects you may notice while using nicotine gum. There are several potential short-term side effects of chewing nicotine gum, including:

Many people turn to nicotine gum or patches to quit smoking. Called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), they provide a low dose of the physically addictive substance in tobacco, without the smoke or toxins found in cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Even though nicotine gum holds a much lesser quantity of nicotine than cigarettes, it can still be addictive if taken for too long. When nicotine gum is chewed, the nicotine in it is absorbed by the tissues that coat the mouth and is passed into the bloodstream.

Nicotine gums like Nicorette or Nicoderm are smoking-cessation aids. They're designed to wean smokers off cigarettes by giving them a low dose of nicotine, without the carcinogens of tobacco. Unfortunately, some people kick one habit for another and become addicted to this gum.