Quit smoking cold turkey success rates are reported to be as low as 5%. I have been wondering why this is so and whether or not it is true. And I think I have an answer for why people think quit smoking cold turkey is such an ineffective way of giving up the smokes.
In my definition, quitting smoking cold turkey means not using anything other than your own ability to overcome the need to smoke. This means no use of varenicline, (chantix and champix), zyban (wellbutrin and bupropion), nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, tabs, nasal sprays or inhalers. You should not be using acupuncture, laser therapy, silver acetate sprays, aversion therapies, chain smoking, hypnosis, clonidine, opoid antagonists, anxiolytics, anti-depressants, nicocure, nicobrevin, lobeline or mecamylamine - to mention a 'phew' of the options!
When you think of someone quitting smoking cold turkey, it is the sudden cut off from cigarettes without any support other than ones own mental prowess over the problem of nicotine addiction.
Quitting smoking cold turkey does not rule out the use of educational materials to understand your relationship both with cigarettes and your number one enemy, nicotine.
In the many years that I tried to quit smoking before realising the secret of quitting smoking, I found that I was unable to overcome the evil weed because I had not learned how to quit smoking before trying to do it. I had read all the common materials and the pamphlets that came with my nicotine patches and pills and inhalers! Nothing, nada, zip in there taught me how to quit smoking.
We often read that certain products offer highly successful quit rates when compared to cold turkey quitters but what we are not being told is that the cold turkey quitters aren't even getting any help to quit smoking in these studies.
If you take 20 smokers and leave them alone for a year, chances are that one will quit smoking, even though over 14-18 of them wants to quit smoking.
In most studies comparing the latest quit smoking drug, the 'control group' (the cold turkey group) are just told to quit smoking. They may be given some sugar pills or some sticky patches (without nicotine) but they are normally just left to their own devices. No surprise then that they all fail miserably with only about 5% successfully quitting.
There is a difference between being told to quit because it is bad for you and being advised to quit and 'this is how you do it'. Let me use an analogy.
Imagine, without any computer knowledge at all, you were given the task of setting up a company human resources database. You were placed in front of an internet enabled computer and given a week to complete the task or you would be assured an early death. How many people could do it?
I reckon about only a tiny fraction would be able to apply themselves to the task and complete it. Most would fail miserably, just as smokers do when they try to quit smoking without any support or education or advice.
You see, there is always a small percentage of the population could succeed in any task set them. Not always the same 5% of course, depending upon the task, but there are always some that will just knuckle down, apply themselves and figure out how to do it. For the rest of us, we need help in the form of guidance and instruction.
Quitting smoking requires motive, means and opportunity.
Your motive to quit smoking should be the never ending torrent of medical and general opinion pointing out what a futile and self destructive act smoking tobacco is. The health risks are just preposterous!
You means to quit smoking is the need to learn how you should do it. It is not best achieved with some of the pills or potions or any of the other interventions I mentioned earlier in this article. Studies have proven that over 85% of long term quitters, quit using nothing more than education and attitude as their main means of achieving a smoke free life.
Finally, your opportunity is now. Most smokers will carp on about quitting this week or this month or this year, as not being the right time to quit. That, I am afraid is a load of rubbish. The usual birthday, wedding, stress excuses are merely excuses to keep on smoking, they are not reasons to not quit - there is a difference! The best opportunity to quit smoking by any means including cold turkey is right now!
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