NicAlert™ offers the advantage of being a simple, fast and cost-effective way of measuring the amount of cotinine present in saliva or urine. It is designed above all for self-administration by the consumer:

• At home: The objective measurement of cotinine gives the smoker a better idea of his or her own level of dependency and the attendant risks, thus providing an additional incentive to those who wish to break the habit. NicAlert™ is also ideal for determining the optimum initial dose to apply as part of withdrawal therapy, and for detecting the subsequent level of success.
  
  
• At the pharmacy: A pharmacist can help both to administer the test and interpret its results, while giving useful advice on possible smoker-withdrawal therapy
  
  
• In schools: Smoking-abstention competitions can be organized simply and quickly (in just 20 minutes), with a wide sample group in order to exercise better control. The collection of saliva is transparent and easy to monitor, and does not require that samples be sent off to a lab for testing.
  
  
• In sports clubs: Players are often only allowed to train or compete if they have abstained from smoking. NicAlert™ provides a quick and simple way of determining smoker status.
  
  
• In bars and restaurants: NicAlert™ allows passive smokers to determine objectively the amount of smoke exposure that they suffer in their place of work, or indeed in the family home. The possible risks arising from passive smoking (e.g. lung cancer and diseases of the coronary and circulatory systems) should be discussed with a doctor, as should the available counter-measures.