Tobacco use is the leading cause of unnecessary illness and death in the United States consuming billions of dollars in scarce health care resources. In the period under review, several new treatments for tobacco addiction were introduced. New nicotine delivery systems, a nasal spray and an inhaler, reduced craving and withdrawal compared with placebo and improved medium- to long-term cessation rates. Nicotine patches and gum became available without a prescription in the United States, offering the potential for increased use and synergy between public health efforts and commercial advertising. Important new safety data were obtained on the use of nicotine replacement therapies in potentially high risk groups, such as adolescents, pregnant women, and persons with serious cardiovascular disease, indicating that these therapies pose little or no additional risk.