If you are a smoker and you are trying to kick the habit to the curb for good, there is not really any one perfect method. But, according to a new study, and general consensus by former smokers overall, cold turkey is still your best bet.
In light of vaporizing devices, patches, gum, lozenges and more, a new study is showing that smokers who outright crushed the pack and tossed in it the can were the most likely to quit and not relapse.
A study that was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that if you want to quit smoking, you need to quit cold turkey to have the best chance. The study followed 700 people who were smoking 15 or more cigarettes per day. All had already decided that they wanted to quit.
The participants were divided into two groups and were allotted two weeks to kick the habit. The first group smoked as usually until their quit date and then went cold turkey. The second group gradually reduced their intake from a half pack to a quarter pack and then quit.
All participants received advice and were offered nicotine patches.
After six months, the study revealed that 15.5% of the smokers who gradually quit still did not smoke. But 22% of the immediate quitters were still without relapse.
Quitting smoking is a lot easier said than done, especially if you do not wish to use any nicotine replacement therapy options, says Cancer.org.
"Only about 4% to 7% of people are able to quit smoking on any given attempt without medicines or other help," the organization explains.
However, when smokers use replacement therapy and cessation aids, this number increases to 25%.
If you do plan on quitting smoking, do yourself a favor and talk to your doctor about your options first. A variety of prescription products are available that can help you kick the habit for good. These range from patches and gum to inhalers that deliver doses of nicotine and even prescription drugs.
By and far, it is possible to quit smoking without any assistance. But it never hurts to fully explore your options with aids that may ease the process of nicotine withdrawal along the way, either.