A to Z of Stopping Smoking

Gradual quitting invloves setting a quit date at some point in the future (e.g. 3 weeks) and gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke until you are at zero on that date.

Research shows that cutting down is less likely to be successful than quitting abruptly. However, if you do decide to cut down it is worth considering the best way to do it. One approach is to give yourself a quota for each day and then cut down until you reach zero. The problem with this is that as you reach your quit date it gets harder and harder to give up on those last few cigarettes. They also become more rewarding. But you can help avoid the unpleasant nicotine withdrawal symptoms by taking a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Another approach is to try and smoke your first cigarette later in the day. So if you normally smoke at breakfast, slowly push it back to lunchtime, and then to dinner, until finally you stop. Again this method is likely to work better if you use a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.