Any ideas on the best methods to quit smoking?

Question

I work for a company that is going smoke-free in about 2 weeks, they have many options available. I would like opinions on the best ways to be successful in quitting.

Answer 1

Look into the new medication Chantix from Pfizer.

Extremely high success rate - 20% remain off cigarettes one year later.

http://www.chantix.com

Answer 2

Natural Quit Smoking Magic

Answer 3

First key is the real desire to quit... not because you're being pressured - so be sure its what you want to do. I have just over a year of being quit and I found the patch to be really helpful and I also used a website (Quitnet) for support and motivation. Its sort of like a 12 step program for smokers :) When you join, you get a tracker which allows you to see your stats... how many days, hours, etc you've stayed quit, how much money you have saved based on your particular smoking habit, etc.
Good luck, hope you make it!

Answer 4

I worked on the trials for Nicorrette gum when it first came out about 20 yrs ago.

Absolutely best method: Smoke really fast in a room full of smokers with no ventilation until you barf. This is called aversion therapy and it worked the best in our groups.

Okay, not into that? The next best method was the gum combined with supportive counseling. (We didn't have the patch or Zyban then.)

Highest-correlated factor with successful quitting: Having your significant other put significant pressure on you to stop. This worked for me. My boyfriend, now hubby of 19 yrs, told me, "I will never marry a woman who smokes." And I quit.

Answer 5

I think you need to start before 2 weeks so you don't feel pressured to quit at the 11th hour. Start now so you can get through a lot of it before the ban goes into place.

There are many reasons why people smoke and you can address these by your choice of quit strategies. Talk to your doctor about going on Zyban which lessens withdrawal. They say you need to be on it for 2 weeks before it begins to help with withdrawal so you should start it now if you're going to use it. You can also use the patch or gum in conjunction with this. A strong support network like quitnet is fantastic to bring you together with others who are experiencing the same thing.

You need to accept that quitting will be hard. Just because it is hard isn't permission to give in. You have to ride it out through the tough part until it begins to fade and your body learns how to live and function without nicotine. Nicotine creates a very powerful addiction, and you need to attack it from all sides, in every way possible. ANYTHING is better than smoking and if nicotine replacement therapy helps you, throw everything available at the addiction. Nicotine replacement therapies double your chances of quitting, so they are really helpful to a quit. BTW, I tried the "aversion therapy" technique mentioned above. I got sick and slept (because of carbon monoxide poisoning probably). When I woke up in the morning... yep, I wanted to smoke again, so I lit up.

Makes lists of strategies to distract you when cravings hit. Drink lots of water, journal, exercise, have a bath, have a shower, read a book, read stories about people who died from lung cancer, reward yourself, go to bed, you need a list that contains a ton of different ways to help you cope.

You have to commit to not smoking NO MATTER WHAT. You will not die from the discomfort (although it may feel like it). And you have to make a promise to yourself (or to others) every day that you will not smoke.

It's hard, but it's doable. And you'll be surprised how FANTASTIC it feels to be a non-smoker, once you get through the tough part. It is way better than you can ever imagine to no longer NEED to smoke.

from an ex-smoker!

Answer 6

I smoked 3 packs a day and was smoking since i was 15 years old until 6 years ago now i am 54 and all i needed was balls and the decision that if i didnt quit i was going to die at night since i could breath with difficulty because of too many coff, i now have a pulmonary desease known as epoc, but i am happy and do not need cigarretes any more, it helped to quit that i wittnessed the death of my father in law from cancer in one month and he did not ever smoked, also a japaneese woman with lung cancer

Answer 7

A study showed the best way to stop smoking is to quit cold turkey but that is real hard to do as you already know

But you asked for the best way.......

Also some people inhale a non light smoke and think that it is to help stop

or chew gum

Answer 8

A nurse gave me this idea: Place the number of cigarettes you smoke in one day in a plastic zip bag. Each day, remove one cigarette. Follow this pattern until you reach 4 cigarettes a day and keep smoking 4 a day for one week. Then cut back to three a day for a week, etc. until you reach one cigarette a day for a week. The last day should be your last cigarette with no withdrawal symptoms. Good luck with whatever method you choose to quit. I hope it works for you.

Answer 9

Tell everybody you know about your decision.

Look at http://www.theaones.com/answers/health/a-simple-trick-to-help-you-quit-Quit-Smoking.htm for a complete explanation about the Trick To Quit Smoking

Answer 10

What worked for me was 10 days in intensive care after they cut a cancerous tumor out of my throat along with my vocal cords and 50 lymph nodes.