If you are a smoker with a need to quit you probably have not yet learned how to quit smoking cold turkey. Chances are that you have a laundry list of reasons why you would like to quit. While the adverse effects that cigarettes can have on our health have been well documented, an increasing number of smokers are also feeling the financial strain as tobacco taxes rise and cigarette prices go up. Added to the growing number of children who suffer from asthma caused by second-hand smoke, many smokers have little doubt that they are making the right decision by quitting.

How To Quit Smoking Cold Turkey

If you are wondering how to quit smoking cold turkey, chances are that you have tried it before and failed. Although there are a million reasons to stop smoking, kicking the habit is not as easy as simply throwing out your cigarettes. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is an extremely addictive substance and most smokers try, and fail, to quit smoking several times before they are successful. Knowing this in advance can have both a positive and a negative effect on your quitting attempt.

Reasons to quit smoking:

• studies have shown dramatic improvements in lung health only a few months after quitting
• your breath will be fresher, your teeth will be whiter and your clothes will smell better
• you will save hundreds of dollars per year
• your loved ones will breathe easier

Although it can be discouraging to know that you may fail the first time you try, you can also feel comforted by the fact that literally millions of people have been in the same situation you are in right now. Just remember that failing is not the end of the world and it does not have to be the end of your quest to quit smoking. If you slip off the proverbial wagon, all you have to do is climb back on and continue on your path to a smoke-free existence.

Tools to Help You Quit

When you first start learning how to quit smoking cold turkey, it is easy to be discouraged by the statistics. Modern research into the effects of nicotine on the human body, however, has given us new insight into the causes of addiction and new tools to help smokers quit. In fact, there are numerous products on the market designed to help ease you off of nicotine and to eventually quit smoking altogether.

One of the most popular of these products is nicotine gum. Companies such as Nicorette manufacture chewable products that provide the body with a low dose of tobacco’s active ingredient. The idea behind gums such as Nicorette is to give your body just enough of what it craves so that you can resist the urge to smoke. While willpower is still required, there is no doubt that many people find it easier to ignore their cravings when they chew a nicotine gum.

While gum is the most common method of administering low doses of nicotine, there are a number of other products that serve a similar function. Many smokers who are learning how to quit smoking cold turkey prefer to use a nicotine patch because it is subtle and discreet. Nicoderm CQ is one of the most popular brands of nicotine patches. Like Nicorette gum, Nicoderm CQ patches contain a low dose of nicotine that is released slowly into the blood stream.

They are typically stuck to a part of the body that is hidden by clothing, ensuring that they will not be seen by curious friends, family or neighbors. Smokers who feel the need to hold something in their hands, however, often turn to inhalers to administer their low dosage of nicotine. Inhalers, such as those manufactured by Nicotrol, give smokers a higher dose of nicotine than other cessation aids. While they have been criticized for this fact, however, they do not subject smokers to many of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco.

How To Quit Smoking Cold Turkey Alternatives

There is also, of course, some truth to the notion of quitting completely cold turkey, without the aid of a cessation device and without consuming any nicotine. Many smokers find that they actually miss the motions of smoking more than they miss the tobacco itself. These people often find they learn how to quit smoking cold turkey much more easily with the aid of a harmless distraction such as a stick of regular chewing gum or a slice of literal cold turkey from the fridge. Other smokers have sworn that it is simply their state of mind that needs adjusting. Instead of telling themselves that they are going to quit smoking, they simply start to think of themselves as non-smokers. This is not, however, the best strategy for everyone. Every smoker is different and if you want to know how to quit smoking cold turkey you will have to find the method that is right for you.