Smoking cold turkey is the most popular way to stop smoking but how effective is it, and how can you improve your chances of success?

Here we will look at smoking cold turkey from two perspectives. From those who want to give up and those smokers who are forced to stop for long periods in our increasingly smokeless society. Smoking cold turkey.

Simply means to stop smoking with no gradual reduction i.e. you give your system a short sharp shock as smoking ceases and nicotine is withdrawn from your body.

Quitting smoking cold turkey means to stop smoking without using any nicotine replacement therapy NRT like puffers, inhalers, gums or patches.

Quitting smoking cold turkey is not as successful as using NRT, this is due to the extreme symptoms that receiving no nicotine causes.

Most people can t take it and quickly revert back to smoking, i.e the nicotine withdrawal symptoms are too much.

Let's look first at how to improve your chances of quitting if you try this method. Withdrawal of nicotine causes the following problems that include:

Irritability, difficulty in concentrating, stress, fatigue, nausea and the feelings are intense, especially for the first 72 hours, although the feelings of cold turkey can last for a few weeks.

One of the main advantages if cold turkey is the time is not that long to get nicotine out the system (although it doesn't feel that way at the time)

If you can grin and bare it, it's the best way to go and you can take some simple steps to cope with your nicotine cravings which include:

1. Drink lots of water to flush out your system, several liters a day is recommended.

2. If you don't have the willpower on your own get support and do it with friends or stop smoking groups.

3. Get active and keep busy, occupy your day. The busier you are, the less time you'll have to think about your nicotine cravings and try and get some exercise, it will make you feel better all round.

4. When you are tempted to smoke, take time out for a minute or so and run through your head all the reasons you are giving up smoking in the first place. Also think of the money you can save! Your chances of success depend on:

Simply, how much you really want to quit. If you think you can you will, if you think you cant you wont.

If you have strong willpower cold turkey is for you.

It's quick, cheap and simple to do.

However if you know you lack will power, then Nicotine Replacement therapy is the answer.

It's not only people giving up smoking trying nicotine replacement therapy now. It's also being used more and more by smokers who are prevented from smoking in areas such as the office, restaurants, or many public places.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Fact: Chances of success with NRT are double that of quitting smoking by cold turkey alone. You have various options:

Nicotine gum, patches inhalers and the drug Zyban.

All have similar success rates and the one you choose is down to you.

NRT is a longer process than cold turkey, but is much easier to cope with than the short sharp shock. When you are forced to give up smoking!

Many smokers are forced to stop smoking, so are forced to cut down and need to satisfy their cravings for longer periods.

NRT helps beat the cravings when smokers can't smoke for up to 8 hours or more at a time i.e. when they are work.

This may not seem long but it is for a smoker, when the cravings kick in! We have the NRT alternatives just mentioned, however several companies have looked at putting nicotine in water and this is now on the market.

This is not a give up, or quit smoking aid, but simply marketed to help smokers cope with cravings when they cant or don't wish to smoke.

The main advantage of this method is it's easy.

You don't need to stick on a patch, or like chewing gum, you can simply take a few sips when cravings hit and get fresh water for hydration as well.

The convenience of this product means that it will rise in popularity for the group of smokers who choose not to smoke or cant smoke.

Finally

You know how strong your willpower is, so if you have it try cold turkey, if you don't get some help from NRT.

At the end of the day ANYONE can give up smoking and success really comes down to how much you want to do it.