Placebo, controlled, randomized, double-blind trial with 400-1000 smoking COPD patients with FEV-1 < 90 % predicted normal with the use of nicotine sublingual nicotine tablets or placebo for 12 weeks combined with individual clinic visits with low or high intensity conducted by trained nurses in several centres in pulmonary clinics in Denmark. Outcome was smoking cessation and smoking reduction after ½ and 1 year as self declared smoking status confirmed by carbon monoxide in expired air< 10 ppm. Secondary outcomes were change in body-weight, quality of life (SF-36 and SGRQ), symptoms, lung function, adverse events.