Tips to quit smoking

There are lots of different methods you can use to help you stop smoking. Try to choose an approach or combination of approaches that you think will offer you the most success and that you are most likely to stick to. If one method doesn't work, try another!

Willpower
The chances of giving up smoking by willpower alone are tiny. Less than five per cent of people attempting to quit without help actually manage it. If you know someone who has, they are most definitely the exception rather than the rule.

Counseling services
Your doctor or diabetes healthcare team may be able to refer you to a "quit smoking" service. This might include a health professional you can talk to about stopping smoking, sometimes in a group setting. Counseling doubles your chances of giving up smoking after one year. However, your chances of success are probably still less than ten per cent if counseling isn't combined with another approach.

Complementary therapies
Although there is little or no scientific evidence that complementary therapies such as hypnotherapy and acupuncture will help you to stop smoking, some people find these methods highly effective. Hypnosis, in particular, may help by improving relaxation and reducing stress. If you do decide to go for a complementary therapy, make sure you seek a qualified, registered practitioner.

Nicotine replacement therapy
Nicotine is the major habit-forming component of cigarette smoke because it is highly addictive. Replacing nicotine from cigarettes using another method of delivery helps to fight off the physical and psychological "cravings" that you get when you give up smoking. Consult your diabetes healthcare team before trying these products. It is important to use them under supervision if you have diabetes because they may cause low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia). If you have counseling at the same time as using a nicotine replacement, you raise your chances of giving up successfully to between fifteen and thirty five per cent.

Buproprion
Buproprion is a medicine that it is thought affects the addiction and reward centres in the brain. The quit rates for studies involving buproprion are around thirty to forty per cent after one year. Buproprion can have side effects particularly when used together with other medication. It is crucial that your doctor is aware of any other medication you are taking before prescribing it for you.