# Easiest way to quit smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606 "2002-11-25T05:38:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CasperQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@CasperQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CasperQ)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/1 "2002-11-25T05:38:31Z")
For those ‘reformed’ smokers, or those that know reformed smokers – what was the method and what were the pros and cons of said method? Zyban? Patch? Gum? Cold turkey? Hypnosis? And an offshoot - what was that short story titled that I once read where a man paid for a ‘guaranteed’ stop-smoking method and they chopped a finger off, killed his pet, then killed his wife and he still wanted a cigarette?! ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/2 "2002-11-25T05:45:38Z")
Work out. Exercise, run, lift weights…all of these will stifle any cravings. After a week of walking or running a mile a day the last thing you’ll want is a cigarette. And not only will you get in better shape, but it’s a drug/gum/hypnosis-free method. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/3 "2002-11-25T06:03:19Z")
I used the patch and ran a lot. But the real secret to quitting is that you must want to quit. If you don’t quit in your mind, you will never quit. That’s why I don’t really believe people who say “I’m an ex-whatever because it’s been 673 days since my last fix.” If you’re counting the days (for 2 years, even!), you haven’t really quit, you know? The story was a Stephen King story, and I think it was from the book “Skeleton’s Crew”. I think. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/4 "2002-11-25T06:16:10Z")
The patch and then hard core resolve. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/5 "2002-11-25T06:19:47Z")
I used nothing other than Gillian Riley’s book _How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good_. Some of her advice is [here](http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfitness/experts/guestexp/articles/0,9544,264_169202-2,00.html) although in the book she says not to use aids in quitting. Her psychology is really clever in that you avoid feeling deprived and resentful. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/6 "2002-11-25T06:25:26Z")
Oh and King’s _Quitters, Inc_ is from Night Shift. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/7 "2002-11-25T06:39:47Z")
It’s a Stephen King short story, and it’s definately not in Skeleton Crew. They don’t kill his wife, but they make it clear they will, so he quits. I wish I could remember the title, cause now I want to read it again! ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/8 "2002-11-25T06:51:45Z")
I went cold turkey. Some of my advice to people trying to quit can be found [here](http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/read.cgi?id=20010801&tid=107555). I’m not at all tempted to take up smoking again, because I know that I’d never be able to quit a second time. It was bad enough on the first go. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/9 "2002-11-25T07:07:01Z")
Cold turkey worked for me, but I was also so broke it was either smoke or feed my child. I think that the silkquit meter helped by allowing me to track my success. I also hung out at AOLs support board at first. I think cold turkey is best because it’s the quickest way to get it out of your system. But not the best for everyone, of course. It sucks at first, but I kept reminding myself that if I snuck in just one more I’d just want another ten minutes later. Instead I ate. Which is now my newest habit to kick. But thats okay. Its normal to gain some weight when you quit, but I’ve heard it goes away. Now that I feel better I have been getting out and biking and I just seem to have more energy throughout the day. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/10 "2002-11-25T10:19:39Z")
Cold turkey. After 10 years of two packs a day I quit in the middle of a cigarette. Been 25 years now. It’s hard, about as hard as anything you’ll ever do - but well worth it. A thing that gave me a lot of trouble was, after the first week or so, when the craving would hit all I could think of was the rest of my life being like this. But it won’t be. All you have to do is get through the next 10 minutes or so and it will go away. Everytime you win it gets a little easier. But JohnT said it well - You have to want to quit. Wish you all the success in the world in this. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-quit-smoking/138606/11 "2002-11-26T01:54:57Z")
I used Welbutrin and the Nicorette gum. That worked for me. BUT: Here’s a third vote for “you really have to want to quit”. If you have the resolve, you can do it. No aide or treatment will make it _easy_, but quitting is possible if you want it.