Go Cold Turkey: The Best Method to Stop Smoking, According To Study

Researchers have now found evidence that the best way to stop old habits is to "go cold turkey." People who abruptly stop smoking were found to continue the change than those who gradually stopped.

While most people believe it would be easier to quit smoking by gradually eliminating the habit, a new study led by Nicola Lindson-Hawley, a post-doctoral researcher at Britain's Oxford University, proves that there's a better way to stop smoking altogether: go cold turkey.

To prove this, the researchers collected 697 smokers to volunteer for the study, Daily Mail UK reports. It is important to note that the volunteers have the desire to stop smoking. The volunteers were then randomly divided into two groups: the "abrupt cessation" group and the "gradual cessation" group.

NBC News added that their preferences did not affect how they performed during the study although half of the participants preferred to stop gradually, a third preferred to stop all at once while the rest doesn't really know what to do. The "abrupt cessation" group has decided to stop smoking altogether on a specific date. The "gradual cessation" group has been given two weeks to gradually quit the habit by 75 percent.

They have also set a quit day just like the first group. The second group has access to medical assistance and various medical products to help them cut smoking: replacement gum, lozenges, nasal spray, sublingual tablets, inhalator, and mouth spray. The first group meanwhile was not allowed to use short-acting products but were given nicotine patches and was advised to smoke as usual until the quit date.

After four weeks since the quit day, 49 percent of from the "abrupt cessation" group were found to stop smoking, while only 39 percent from the "gradual cessation group" continued to drop the habit, Daily Mail UK reports. This translates to 25 percent success rate of the cold turkey group.

After six months, 22 percent from the "abrupt cessation" group continued not to smoke while 15 percent from the "gradual cessation" has been smoke-free as well. The research was published in the journal of Internal Medicine.

Regardless how they prefer to stop smoking, they are still more likely to be successful if they all at once quit. However, researchers noted that it is still better to reduce the gradually reduce smoking than simply not trying.

Quitting a bad habit is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. To know about the harmful effects of smoking, check out the video below: