What does Cumberbatch's Sherlock use instead of a pipe?

Cumberbatch’s Sherlock uses nicotine patches instead of a pipe.

The change updates Arthur Conan Doyle’s pipe-smoking detective for modern London. In the BBC series, Holmes is a heavy nicotine user but generally avoids smoking, so he applies several nicotine patches at once. The habit becomes part of his characterization, especially when he refers to especially difficult cases as “three-patch problems.”

The patches also preserve an important element of the original Holmes: his need for stimulation while thinking. Rather than using a traditional clay or briar pipe, the television version turns nicotine into a visual shorthand for intense concentration. The production choice also reflected changing broadcasting rules and social attitudes toward smoking.

A common mix-up is that Sherlock never completely abandons every form of drug use. The series depicts his history of recreational drug use, but nicotine patches are the recurring replacement for the iconic pipe. The pipe remains an important symbol in earlier Holmes adaptations, while Cumberbatch’s version uses modern technology and props throughout.