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Smoking is bad for your health. No one will dispute this statement, however the topic of which method is most successful in helping people quit smoking is up for debate. Contrary to years ago when the only option was cold turkey, today smokers who are trying to give up the habit have plenty of products from which to choose to help them in their effort. Health officials are concerned that there may be too much of a push toward medications sending a clear message to smokers that if they want to succeed they must use medication to reach their goal.

In an essay released this week on PLoS Medicine, authors Simon Chapman and Ross MacKenzie from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, Australia speak out against the overemphasis on cessation methods such as nicotine replacement therapy. They claim this has led to the “medicalization of smoking cessation”. In fact, according to most ex-smokers the most successful method of quitting is still cold turkey or reduction until quitting.

Citing studies that have been published in 2007 and 2008, two-thirds to three-quarters of ex-smokers quit smoking on their own, and experienced less difficulty in quitting than they anticipated.

It is an important message to get out to the smoking population, that there is in fact an alternative to taking prescription or over-the-counter medication to aid in your cessation efforts. This is especially true for individuals who may not bulk at paying outrageous prices for a pack of cigarettes, yet find themselves unable to come to terms with spending money on tobacco control products.

Nicotine is a highly additive component of tobacco, with nicotine addiction being one of the reasons the majority of smokers find it so difficult to quit smoking. The health benefits associated with quiting smoking are many. Smoking is the cause of 90% of lung cancer and 30% of all cancer fatalities. Cigarette smoking is also directly related to coronary heart disease in both men ad women in the United States. Understanding just how deadly this habit can be, it is important to encourage all smokers to consider quitting. Cold turkey may be the most effective way to quit smoking, however any method that has the end result of not smoking should be considered a valuable tool in helping people quit. If you are a smoker looking for the best way to quit smoking, consult your physician for advise and begin your cessation plan today!