7.11 Methods, services and products for quitting—methods
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Individual differences in smoking history, genetics, gender, and experience mean that every smoker is unique, and different groups and individuals may derive different levels of benefit from the various interventions, treatments and approaches to smoking cessation.
7.11.1 Unassisted quitting
Most people who have quit did so without quitting aids and professional support.179 Long-term success rates (six to 12 months) of people attempting to quit on their own are around 3 to 6%.182 Use of quitting medications and support services has become more common over the past decade, although users are still a minority.2, 179, 246 Smokers who perceive that quitting aids are helpful are more likely to try to quit and to use assistance.247
7.11.2 Abrupt versus gradual stopping
Two methods of quitting involve either abruptly stopping smoking ('cold turkey') or gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day before stopping completely ('cutting down'). When cutting down, the number of cigarettes per day may be reduced in a scheduled or unscheduled way, or the first cigarette of the day is delayed for longer and longer. Both cutting down and cold turkey methods can be done with or without medication. Limited evidence suggests that cold turkey is more common than cutting down.
Few studies have compared the efficacy of abrupt versus gradual stopping, however one large study of smokers quitting on their own found that smokers who used the cold turkey method were almost twice as likely to stop for at least a month than those who used a cutting down method. However, because the findings are based on personal choice in a naturalistic setting, it is not possible to conclude that the results were due to quitting methods. The authors suggest, with caution, that the cold turkey method may be the better method for smokers intending to quit on their own, but that this advice does not apply to structured programs involving cutting down strategies.248
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