How to Quit Smoking for Good

In the 1940s, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made smoking sophisticated. Lucy  and Desi puffed openly on television in the ’50s. Even Fred Flintstone thought Winston brand cigarettes tasted “good like a cigarette should” in the 1961 television commercial.

We and smoking have come a long way. Today, thanks to decades of scientific research, we know that—in every way imaginable—smoking is bad for our health.

According to the American Lung Association, smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths, and about 80% to 90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths. It’s a culprit for coronary heart disease, cataracts, gum and lung cancer, and, in some cases, death.

If you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Most smokers know how damaging their habit is, but have trouble quitting for good. They’ve tried every method in the book, often thinking they don’t have enough willpower to stop on their own. And for all smokers, their habit is driven by an intense physical addiction.

Kate Silver, a freelance writer from Chicago, smoked her first cigarette at age 18.

“I snuck it out of my grandmother’s pack of Marlboro reds,” Silver says. “I had friends in high school who’d been smoking, and I wanted to try it out on my own. It seemed rebellious at the time.”

For the next decade, Silver says she smoked “off and on.” She tried quitting cold turkey, using herbal supplements and nicotine-free cigarettes. But she always went back to the pack.

Silver, now 36, has been smoke-free for eight years, which gives hope to many smokers trying to quit. So don’t let friends and family send you on a guilt trip the next time you step out for a quick puff. Take your power back, and don’t use a lack of willpower as an excuse. Learn how to take control of your health and yourself, and find ways to put down the smokes for good.

Intense addiction

Nicotine is an ingredient found in all cigarettes, and it’s one of the biggest reasons smokers have trouble quitting permanently. This highly addictive chemical has a direct effect on the brain, says

Dr. Kevin Kovitz, an interventional pulmonologist at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System.

After inhaling cigarette smoke, it takes 20 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain. It takes just one minute for the effects to kick in, stimulating arousal and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

“Nicotine is one of the worst physical addictions out there,” says Kovitz.

Acting as a sedative and stimulant, nicotine also releases the chemical dopamine, which stimulates pleasure. But continued smoking actually reduces the amounts of dopamine produced by the body, so smokers find themselves lighting up more to produce normal levels of dopamine.  Without it, they feel irritated. They smoke, their body releases dopamine, and they feel better, according to Kovitz.

Nicotine also causes glucose—blood sugar—to be released in the blood, which causes some smokers to be more alert.

“There’s truly an addiction there. People will reach for something they feel physically and emotionally comforted by,” says Kovitz, who works with lung cancer patients.

For those attempting to break the cycle, there’s no set time for when cravings subside. It varies from person to person, and can take as little as three days and as long as three weeks.

“For some, the reality is some of the damage is permanent,” Kovitz says. “But when people stop smoking, they slow the damage.”

And many quitters, including Silver, may still crave the nicotine, especially when they get a whiff of the smoke.

“Occasionally, I’ll get a waft of a cigarette on a day when the weather is cool and think, ‘This would be a good day for a cigarette if I were still a smoker,’” she says. “I’d never do it, though. I’ve come way too far for that.”

Accountable and in control

Smokers can take comfort in some good news. A lot of people are successfully quitting. The number of former smokers has surpassed the number of current smokers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But still, 19% of all adults—43.8 million people—smoked in 2011. Fifty-two percent of those smokers tried to quit in 2010.

Silver says she stopped smoking through laser acupuncture. While working as a magazine editor, she wrote a story about the technique as a tool to kick addiction.

“It was more of a placebo than anything. I held myself accountable because I knew I was writing about it, and didn’t want to feel like a failure,” she says.

Silver says she was also tired of feeling controlled by her habit. She hated the fact that she needed to step outside when hanging with friends, and couldn’t travel without having to find a smokers lounge to duck into.

“Cigarettes started to feel like a leash that kept tightening,” she says.

Supported by her parents and co-workers, she distanced herself from many friends who smoked.

“I knew how susceptible I was from past failed attempts, and decided that quitting for good was more important than going out with the normal crew and facing temptation,” she says.

Now with healthier lungs, Silver enjoys jogging and biking regularly. She recently completed her fourth Fight for Air Ride, the American Lung Association’s bike ride that covers 150 miles from Crystal Lake in Illinois to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin.

Her advice to those struggling to quit?

“Find a way to hold yourself accountable, whether it’s through a support group, a blog, calling a helpline, or making promises to a friend or significant other,” she says. “Be honest with yourself.”

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Methods to quit: Improve your odds

Boost your chance of quitting for good with these products.

Nicotine patch

Prescription: No

Cost: $25 to $50

Used for: 8 to 12 weeks

Side effects: Skin irritation, especially for people with eczema and psoriasis

• Small, self-adhesive skin patches steadily release nicotine into the body
• Long-acting, controlling cravings and withdrawal symptoms for 24 hours
• Gradually taper off the patch as cravings and symptoms decrease

Nicotine gum

Prescription: No

Cost: $25 to $60

Used for: Up to 12 weeks

Side effects: Jaw soreness from chewing, mouth irritation, nausea, excess saliva

• Contains a small amount of nicotine
• Short-acting, controlling sudden cravings and withdrawal symptoms for short periods
• Chew a piece every hour or two, then gradually reduce as cravings and symptoms decrease

Nicotine lozenge

Prescription: No

Cost: $30 to $55

Used for: 12 weeks

Side effects: Nausea, indigestion, heartburn, throat irritation, hiccups

• Tablets that contain a small amount of nicotine
• Short-acting
• Use up to 20 lozenges per day, reducing as cravings and withdrawal symptoms decrease

Nicotine inhaler

Prescription: Yes

Cost: $40 to $55 with insurance

Used for: 6 to 12 weeks

Side effects: Coughing, mouth and throat irritation

• Device that gives a small dose of nicotine
• Short-acting
• Take as few puffs as needed to satisfy withdrawal symptoms and cravings
• Use six to 16 cartridges per day, gradually tapering off completely

Nicotine nasal spray

Prescription: Yes

Cost: $40 for one bottle with insurance

Used for: 3 to 6 months

Side effects: Nasal, sinus and throat irritation, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing

• Contains a small dose of nicotine
• Recommended dose each nostril one to three times an hour
• Short-acting
• Use one to three sprays an hour at first, gradually tapering to none

Varenicline (brand-name Chantix)

Prescription: Yes

Cost: $40 with insurance, $115 out-of-pocket

Used for: 12 weeks

Side effects: Nausea, vision trouble, fainting, severe skin reactions, vivid or strange dreams

• Helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
• Blocks nicotine receptors in the brain, which decreases the pleasurable effects of smoking
• Begin a week or two before you quit smoking. Take the pill two times every day.