We’ve known the dangers of smoking for decades now, but giving up can be extremely hard.
If you desperately want to quit the habit, but are struggling to go cold turkey you’re certainly not alone.
There are around nine million smokers in the UK, but a whopping two thirds of them want to give up tobacco, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
Nearly a fifth of deaths in the UK are due to smoking and giving up is the single best way to prevent early death.
However, beating addiction isn’t always easy and it can take a lot of work and willpower.
Smokers looking to quit as part of the annual Stoptober campaign have been told not the go cold turkey.
Research has shown only 4% of those who go "cold turkey" remain smoke-free after a year. And nearly 90% of those who try to quit will start smoking again, despite their best efforts.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Online, GP and media medic Dr Sarah Jarvis reveals the best way to kick the habit for good.
She said: “The least effective way is to go ‘cold turkey’, with no support from a healthcare professional."
Instead the medic recommends seeking help from smoking cessation advisors and using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to improve your chances of quitting.
NRT products come in patches, gums or lozenges from brands such as NiQuitin, Nicorette and Nicotinell and they can help to reduce the urge to smoke cigarettes.
A scientific literature review looking into 150 different devices found people were 50-70% more likely to quit when using replacement therapies.
Dr Jarvis said: “Cutting out nicotine can cause headaches and other physical withdrawal symptoms, but there’s also the psychological addiction.
“The evidence is that your chances of quitting successfully are much better if you tackle one addiction at a time.
“Getting support from a smoking cessation advisor or using smoking cessation aids such as nicotine replacement products are both more effective than trying to quit on your own.
“But combining the two is more effective still in terms of the likelihood of you quitting successfully in the long term. NRT products allow you to concentrate on overcoming the habit of smoking in certain situations first. This increases the chances of success in the long run.
“As well as NRT, I would also advise people to visit the NHS Smokefree website, or speak to their friends and family to get the support and reassurance they will need. The NHS offers support through a variety of methods, including an app and via email.
"They also run local groups across the country, which offer face-to-face advice and encouragement to help people stop smoking for good.”
Dr Jarvis also recommends focussing on the reasons you decided to quit in the first place.
Writing down your reasons will help cement them and may help you succeed.
She also advises upping your water intake, finding new ways to relax, working out more and focusing on the financial benefits of quitting.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found people who had a financial incentive to quit had some remarkable success.
You could try putting the money you are saving aside to buy yourself something nice at the end of every month.
Distraction can also be key, when trying to get over an addiction. Experts at QuitSmokingCommunity.org suggest going for walk or meeting up with a friend if you feel a craving coming on. Having hypnotherapy to quit smoking has also proven effective.
