Sitcom and drama writers have long relied on stories about their characters quitting smoking, usually for comedic effect. The general perception is that quitting smoking is hard and, during the process, the individual will become fraught and difficult to live with. Overall, this seems to be accepted fact and almost a cause for hilarity, when in fact it puts many smokers off the idea of quitting.

Every smoker knows that, with every cigarette, they are shortening their life span. But the alternative – the act of quitting – seems almost as bad. Many smokers fear they won’t be able to deal with the side effects of smoking cessation, such as withdrawal. Some fear that by quitting smoking, they will gain weight. These may seem like small fears compared with the idea of lung cancer, but they are nevertheless large contributing factors as to why so many smokers remain smokers.

There is no doubt that stopping smoking isn’t easy. As well as the effects of physical withdrawal, many smokers cannot face the loss of the social aspect of their life. Smokers are often heard to say that they don’t want to quit as the majority of their social circle smokes and they would somehow feel left out. But these issues must be pushed through to achieve any kind of success when it comes to quitting cigarettes for good.

Begin by acknowledging the issues. Acknowledge that, for a period of time, life may be quite unpleasant. You will have to deal with the aspects of withdrawal that are physical, as well as the social and emotional attachment to smoking. While it may seem easier to bury your head in the sand and continue smoking to avoid these difficulties, the simple fact remains that your life will be much, much worse than the occasional withdrawal pain and social problem if you continue smoking.

Be aware of the potential problems and try to plan around them. Although the problems themselves may be largely insoluble in advance, at least by being forewarned and aware of any issues you have a level of preparation that should make everything easier to deal with. And remember, the short term pain and problems of quitting will soon be replaced with a stronger, healthier lifestyle. Surely some things are worth a little sacrifice?

When it comes to smoking, most people immediately associate the habit with lung cancer. Smoking and lung cancer are two of those things that go together, apparently seamlessly. The risk of lung cancer among smokers is much higher than in a non-smoker, but many smokers seem to have accepted their chances. The close relationship between the concepts of smoking and lung cancer has, if anything, blunted many to how severe and almost certain the link may be.

Any smoker, however, should be awoken from this attitude of acknowledging the link but ignoring it. Lung cancer is a horrific disease and should never, ever be underestimated. It often proves to be fatal, even with medical intervention, and many smokers focus on the life-threatening aspect of it rather than the general lifestyle. The common refrain is “we all have to die of something”, and with this actuality in mind they find it easier to continue smoking despite it’s sudden associations with lung cancer.

Any smoker looking for motivation to quit need look no further than lung cancer. Try focusing on the non-mortal aspects of lung cancer and the kind of life a smoker would lead before their death from the disease. Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer any human can contract, often laying undetected for months. When it is detected, treatments are difficult and painful, from the standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy to operations to removing part of the lung.

People must consider that death is not the only thing that cancer can cause. Lung cancer can ruin and destroy both your quality of life and the memories people have of you. It may seem easy to flippant and insist that everyone has to die, but dying of lung cancer is one of the more foul ways of departing this planet.

And, of course, it doesn’t stop with lung cancer. Smoking is also linked with a variety of other cancers – throat, stomach, thyroid, mouth cancer for a start – as well as causing high blood pressure, heart disease and eventual heart attacks. A smoker may be reconciled to the fact that their favourite habit may kill them – but have you ever really considered how your last days on earth will be?

The most well known forms of nicotine replacement therapy are nicotine gum and patches. These are largely available from most pharmacies and even supermarkets. However, they are not without their side effects – for some, the taste of the nicotine while chewing the gum is unpleasant, and for people with sensitive skin wearing a patch can be uncomfortable after a few hours.

The other disadvantages to these methods are that they do nothing to counteract a different type of craving regularly associated with those quitting smoking; the need to do something with your hands.

Thankfully, there is an alternative available: the inhalator. The nicotine replacement inhalator is shaped like a normal cigarette, but is made from plastic. It consists of a mouthpiece and a cartridge of nicotine.

To use, the mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth. As this action is reminiscent of smoking a cigarette, it deals with the hands-off problem that many people trying to quit smoking struggle with. The user than draws breath in through the inhalator, causing nicotine from the cartridge to be released. This travels into the mouth as a vapor, where it can then be deeply inhaled or just allowed to settle. It causes a tingling sensation in the mouth, but few describes this as unpleasant.

Each cartridge for the inhalator contains enough nicotine for around 400 puffs. It is estimated that it takes around 80 puffs on the inhalator to release the same amount of nicotine contained in one cigarette. Doctors recommend beginning with around six to 12 cartridges a day, depending on how many cigarettes you usually smoke per day.

The inhalator is the perfect form of nicotine replacement therapy for those who miss the physical aspects of smoking the most. Like a cigarette, the inhalator needs to be raised to and from the mouth, helping people who report problems of not knowing what to do with their hands when not smoking. It is also one of only two forms of nicotine replacement therapy that produces a cigarette-like “hit” of nicotine. For some, the inhalator is the most effective method of nicotine replacement therapy, and reports a success rate of over 50%, like most forms of replacement therapy.

Nicotine gum contains a nicotine compared called nicotine polacrilex, which is said to have a potent effect on any cravings. Nicotine gum, however, should not be chewed like normal chewing gum – there is a specifically designed way of using it, which should increase it’s effectiveness. Each piece of nicotine gum should last for half an hour. To achieve this, chew the gum thoroughly until the taste of the nicotine compound is strong in your mouth. When it is, put the gum against your cheek and desist chewing it. When the strong taste has dissapated, start chewing again to release another wave of flavour. Repeat this until there is no taste left in the gum.

The manufacturers of nicotine gum suggest that it should only be used when a craving strikes, though many smokers in the process of quitting prefer to use it as a preventative. The choice on this is yours, but it is suggested that by limiting the use of nicotine gum to just when particularly severe cravings strike, it has a better change of succeeding.

The strength of gum you select depends on how many cigarettes you usually smoke in a day. For anything under 10 cigarettes per day, gum containing 2mg of nicotine polacrilex should be sufficient. For up to 20 cigarettes a day, use 4mg gum, while reserving 6mg for anyone who usually smokes over 20 cigarettes a day.

Nicotine gum cannot fully remove cravings. The best it can do is reduce the intense discomfort associated with smoking cessation, the theory being that by easing the worst of any craving, willpower should do the rest. It is important to have realistic expectations of nicotine gum; it never can fully replace the desire to smoke, but should be viewed more as a willpower aid than a full cigarette replacement. However, nicotine gum when used correctly can be incredibly effective and significantly improves your chances of stopping smoking for good. For this reason alone, it is worth a try.

Nicotine patches are quite large and resemble a large Band Aid or plaster. They tend to be skin coloured, for maximum discretion. They are applied to the skin, where a mild glue holds them in place until they are forcibly removed. While the patches are in contact with the skin, a small amount of nicotine is released and this is absorbed into the bearer’s system.

Like all types of nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine patches come in various strengths. The most common use of patches is to use them on a sliding scale, beginning with patches containing 15mg of nicotine. After six week, if the bearer has successful managed to avoid smoking, this is decreased down to 10mg. Another two weeks on, it is then suggested a further drop down to the lowest rate – 5mg – for a further two weeks. After this period, most can remove the patches all together and begin a life completely devoid of nicotine.

Nicotine patches have one of the best success rates of all the various nicotine replacement therapies. This is largely due to the fact that they create a constant flow of nicotine into the bearer’s system, hugely reducing the risks of an all-consuming craving which can often cause people to give up and smoke a cigarette.

As with anything, there are some drawbacks to nicotine patches. The most common side effect is skin discoloration or discomfort where the patch meets the skin. For this reason, it is recommended that with each new patch you apply, put it in a different area of the body to reduce the chances of suffering. The most common areas for application are the hips, thighs, back and upper arms, and it is worth remembering that patches will be less effective if applied on a joint. Instead, opt for a flat area of skin which is disturbed as little as possible by movement.

However, the benefits far outweigh the negatives of nicotine patches. They are hugely useful if you find the taste or smell of nicotine unpleasant, something which is unavoidable with gum or nasal sprays. Although patches can’t do the entire job of quitting for you, it is estimated that those who do wear patches are 50% more likely to quit smoking for good.

Yet now there is a way of helping heavy smokers through these cravings, using a form of nicotine replacement therapy called the nasal spray. This is easily the most effective form of nicotine replacement therapy, but it is not without it’s risks.

The reasons for the efficacy of the nasal spray are varied, though it is largely attributable to the speed it works at. The nicotine contained in each burst of the spray tends to hit the bloodstream fully within 10 minutes, making it one of the fastest methods of achieving a nicotine burst.

The spray works as a standard pump spray, with a nozzle designed to fit comfortably into the nostrils. When a craving arises, one burst of spray is delivered into each nostril. Each spray contains around 0.5mg of nicotine, meaning a total release of 1mg each time. This roughly equates to the same amount released by smoking one cigarette. As the spray is inhaled, the nicotine is absorbed into the lining of the nostrils and enters the bloodstream extremely quickly. When the nicotine reaches the brain, a “hit” of nicotine akin to that given by a cigarette is experienced. The nasal spray is only one of two methods – the other being the inhalator – to achieve this.

Unfortunately, the nasal spray may well be the most effective method of nicotine replacement, but it also the one fraught with the most risks. Many smokers simply transfer their addiction to the spray rather than cigarettes, and while the spray is far less dangerous than actual smoking, the point of nicotine replacement therapy is to gradually wean a person off nicotine entirely.

There are also side effects associated with the nasal spray, on top of the usual effects associated with nicotine replacement therapy. These include headaches, nasal and sinus irritation and even nosebleeds. However, for heavy smokers who have found that no other form of nicotine replacement therapy is sufficient, the nasal spray is the best chances of completely smoking cessation. The percentage of people who attempt to quit smoking with help from a nasal spray has a success rate of 55%, some 5% higher than other forms of replacement therapy.

While using these methods of nicotine replacement therapy almost doubles the chances of total cessation of smoking, these methods do very little to help the other problems of quitting smoking. While the main issue for most is the nicotine withdrawal, many smokers suffer emotional problems when quitting smoking. Some of this is chemical, as some of the chemicals contained without nicotine and cigarettes are powerful stimulants of the feel-good hormone dopamine. However, some of the problems are social and mental.

Non smokers may find it hard to believe, but many smokers actually enjoy smoking. They enjoy the feeling of sitting back and relaxing with a cigarette and the social life that comes with smoking; after all, nothing bonds people together like trying to smoke in the wind and the rain. Some people also suffer if they used smoking as a comfort, and as soon as these people have a bad moment or anxious period, their desire to smoke is unignorable and even with nicotine replacement therapy cannot be eradicated.

The emotive side of smoking is a powerful one, and one that is now recognised by doctors and researchers. At present, there is a way to help combat the emotional impact of stopping smoking. A drug named bupropion, given the retail name Zyban, is traditionally used as an anti-depressant. However, doctors found that people using it reported a lessening in their desire to smoke, even if they were not trying to quit at the time. More was researched into this, and soon the drug was made available to help people quit smoking who had no other mental illnesses. Zyban works by helping people deal with, and in some cases eradicate, the emotions associated with quitting smoking – such as restlessness, depression and anxiety.

The drug is taken for around 12 weeks, the course usually beginning one week before the person quits smoking. This is to allow for the drug to build up to the necessary levels in a person’s system. Two tablets are taken each day, eight hours apart, up to a maximum dose of 300mg.

Studies have shown that people were 25% more likely to cease smoking for good when taking Zyban, compared to those who were given a placebo. As Zyban itself contains no nicotine, it can be used in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy such as patches and gum, giving the smoker a much better chance of stopping smoking for good.

Zyban is a relatively new drug and is therefore closely monitored. It is only available by prescription from a doctor and will only be given for smoking cessation once. It is particularly useful for those who have tried to quit smoking before and found the reason they returned was less due to cravings and more for emotive reasons. As more is discovered about Zyban and further clinical trials are conducted, the promising start of this drug in the fight against smoking may blossom into a stunning future.

It is estimated that if a smoker goes on a course of nicotine replacement therapy and has group therapy with a qualified counsellor, their chances of stopping smoking for good are as high as 90%.

Unfortunately, many people still have huge reservations about therapy. It is easy to see why people find the idea of sitting around with a group of strangers, talking about personal emotions and issues may seem daunting, and many believe it doesn’t work anyway. But statistics show that when people do seek professional group support while quitting smoking, it genuinely does help lessen their chances of resuming the habit.

It can be immensely freeing to sit with people, from all walks of life, who are in a similar situation to you and talk about it. This is especially true if it’s something you’ve never done before. Quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, particularly if you are the only one in your social circle who has decided to kick the habit. By attending group meetings, you are going to receive support and – most importantly – understanding from people who are in the exact same position. Group therapy is recommended for almost anything – there has to be a reason for that, and the main reason is that it works. Why not try it and see? After all, if you genuinely disliked the first session, there’s no need to go again.

Similar concepts apply to quitting smoking without using nicotine replacement therapy. Many people believe that using aids like nicotine patches and gum simply prolongs their addiction and they want to make a clean break, which is understandable. Yet the chances of someone staying off cigarettes for life doubles when they use nicotine replacement therapy, which is – in the long term – the most effective way of ridding yourself of the addiction once and for all.

Giving up smoking is wickedly difficult for most people, so why not get all the support you need? Smoking may be legal, but it’s still a potent addiction – very few people are expected to stop using heroin or alcohol without support, so why smoking? By getting help, you are genuinely doubling – and in the case of also using therapy, perhaps trebling – your chances of kicking the habit for good.

If you are confident you are stopping for your reasons and no one else’s, then proceed on. Start by writing down why you’re quitting, as this is something you can refer back to when you’re in the midst of an intense craving and want a cigarette more than anything. Write in bullet points; short, succinct sentences detailing your reasons for wanting smoking to be a thing of the past for you. As well as health benefits, write down the emotional and financial side of stopping smoking.

With this complete, look in to nicotine replacement therapy. There is a huge range of methods available to help deal with the physical withdrawal of smoking, from inhalators which recreate the physical sensation of smoking to nasal sprays which recreate the “hit” and buzz of nicotine. If patches and gum have failed you in the past, do try one of the lesser known methods. By starting a course of nicotine replacement therapy, you are effectively doubling your chances of success.

You can also look in to group therapy, which tends to be run by doctors or hospitals. Here, you can sit and discuss the process of quitting, and have like-minded people in the same situation to turn to on bad days. Like nicotine replacement therapy, you are increasing your chances of success by attending therapy or counselling.

The next step is to set goals. After your first week of not smoking, gather together the money you would have spent on cigarettes and go and spend it. Make this a frivolous purchase, designed for nothing but fun. One week may seem like a short period in which to get a reward, but it should give you an incentive to continue. After the first week, schedule your next reward for one month without cigarettes, and then three months. This frivolous fun should help keep you on track during the difficult days, as they give something to look forward to and show that your efforts are not in vain.

Finally, one of the key aspects of quitting smoking – that is often forgotten – is that never consider yourself completely recovered. Try and think of yourself as an ex-smoker, not a non-smoker. “Just one cigarette” is often the downfall of many who have not smoked for years. Remain vigilant, always follow nicotine replacement therapy courses to their conclusion, and never be tempted just to try a cigarette and see if you still like it. You can beat the addiction, but it will always be ready to draw you back in. Keep that in mind, and the very best of luck!

Thankfully, there are other options and they are just as effective as their better known colleagues. The first option is microtabs. These work like a small tablet, and contain around 2mg of nicotine in each piece. When you feel like you need a cigarette, place a microtab under the tongue and allow it to dissolve, which will take around half an hour. This is important, as if you suck or chew a microtab you may reduce it’s effectiveness. The microtab then releases around half of its dosage into the body, which should reduce cravings. Most smokers need around 14 microtabs a day at the beginning of quitting.

There are various disadvantages to microtabs, including the unpleasant taste of nicotine. They are also one of the more costly forms of nicotine replacement therapy.

Fortunately, there is another alternative to gum and patches. Nicotine that is released into the lining of the mouth is the quickest way of reducing a craving, so developers have continued to try and find a suitable oral form of nicotine replacement therapy.

The last option is the nicotine lozenge. These work like a standard lozenge for sore throats, in that they release chemicals throughout their life span. Nicotine lozenges are hugely effective as a form of replacement therapy, with one recent test showing that those who used them when quitting smoking were 46% more likely to stop smoking for good.

The real benefit of nicotine lozenges is that they are devoid of the unsavoury taste of nicotine. Unlike gum and microtabs, the lozenges are quite pleasant in taste while still doing the vital job of helping stop cravings. They are also more discreet than chewing gum and therefore more socially acceptable.

Whichever method of oral nicotine replacement therapy you choose, you will have almost doubled your chances of quitting smoking.