Nicotine patch being placed by a 20-year-old woman on her arm. This is a method of giving up tobacco smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug that is found in cigarettes. The nicotine in the patch is released in small doses doses, through the skin (transdermally), into the bloodstream. A course of patches slowly decreases the amount of nicotine delivered, easing the withdrawal symptoms felt by smokers who are trying to quit.