A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that when it comes to giving up smoking, quitting cold turkey may be more effective than gradually cutting back on cigarettes.
The study followed almost 700 smokers and was performed by the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. All of the smokers were long-term, heavy smokers who expressed a desire in wanting to quit.
Half of the participants were told to quit smoking cold turkey on a predetermined quit date, while the other half were told to scale back gradually for a two week period before quitting. The cold turkey group used nicotine patches for two weeks before quitting, and the gradual group also used nicotine replacement therapy while scaling back. After each group's designated quitting dates, patches and counseling were provided.
The cold turkey group had more success with quitting. After one month, 49 percent of participants were still no longer smoking, compared to only 39.2 percent in the group that cut back gradually. Six months after quitting, there was less overall success, but still a difference—22 percent were still not smoking in the cold turkey group, compared to 15.5 percent in the gradual group. Participants in the gradual group also had more trouble sticking to the predetermined quit day.
The study's researchers suggest that quitting gradually only prolongs the cravings and withdrawal symptoms associate with quitting. However, the benefits of quitting gradually cannot be overlooked. Many smokers may be too intimated by the cold turkey method to try it.
The study also provides evidence for the benefits of using nicotine replacement therapy and counseling during the process.
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