Tips on quitting smoking

Smoking, like any addiction, is a tough habit to break. If you're thinking about quitting smoking, try the following tips to help you reach your goal. Consult your doctor before trying any of them.

The best of these help you in three ways: they train you to solve practical problems related to quitting (for instance, if you always light up when you pour your first cup of coffee in the morning, it may help you to switch to tea); they include social support as part of treatment (such as pairing you with a non-smoking "buddy" you can call when you feel the need to smoke); and they help you set up social support outside of therapy. Ask your doctor for a referral.

Exercising three times a week may work even better than a behavioural therapy program (of course, doing both is ideal). One study found that nearly 20 percent of the exercisers were still smoke-free after a year compared to 11 percent of the therapy group. And there was a bonus: they gained less weight.

These include gums, patches, lozenges, inhalers and nasal spray. It doesn't matter if you get your nicotine fix from a prescription product or an over-the-counter one; both are equally effective. Studies find that the patch increases quit rates by about seven percent compared to placebos, the gum and inhaler by about eight percent, and the nasal spray by 12 to 16 percent.

This antidepressant increases the quit rate by about 10 to 13 percent compared to taking a placebo and doubles the success of the nicotine patch compared to using the patch alone. An added benefit is that it seems to reduce the weight gain so common after quitting.

This includes taking unpleasant measures like smoking very fast and puffing rapidly on a cigarette until you feel sick. Don't try this on your own; it should be used only under medical supervision. Studies find it works best in those for whom other options have failed.

If you're trying to be tough and quit smoking on your own — without any help from your physician, nicotine replacement products, counselling or medication — you're likely to fail even if you use self-help manuals or booklets.

An analysis of 24 studies found no difference in quit rates between smokers who received real acupuncture and those who got fake acupuncture.

The evidence just isn't there to support hypnotherapy.