Research: Want to Quit Smoking? Do It All at Once

The new research on smoking cessation was conducted at the University of Oxford in the UK. The results, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, indicate that to quit smoking successfully, it must be done immediately, not gradually.

Around 700 participants joined one of two smoking cessation programs: gradual or immediate cessation. The participants were provided with nicotine patches, nicotine gum, or nicotine spray substitutes for the duration of the trial.

After four weeks, a breath test was conducted to detect nicotine in the participants' breath, as an indicator of successful cessation. The findings showed that among those who quit smoking immediately, 49% achieved cessation, compared to 40% of those who reduced their smoking gradually.

(Photo: Avir Sultan / Flash 90)

The researchers concluded that "the findings indicate that the safer method to quit smoking is to quit all at once, rather than gradually. In most cases, cessation programs already adopt this approach."

The reason is that to successfully quit smoking, the desire to smoke must be "switched off" in the brain. In contrast, when reducing smoking gradually, that desire constantly seeks to increase the dosage to reach satisfaction.

According to expert estimates, approximately 8,000 people die annually as a result of smoking. About 700 of them are non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke in their environments.