The majority of people who smoke try to give up their smoking habit at one time or another. Everyone these days is very well aware that smoking is a serious long-term risk to a smoker’s health. And if living a longer life is not enough incentive for a smoker to make the effort to stop smoking completely, then there are always the financial and social incentives.

Most western countries impose high taxation on cigarettes and tobacco products with two main aims. Firstly, to raise as much money as possible from what is essentially a drug addiction; and secondly to make smokers give up their habit because it costs so much. A heavy smoker easily spends around $3000 each year in a high taxation country such as the UK. The current economic downturn in the USA, UK and Europe means that many smokers are forced to quit smoking (or at the very least cut down) to be able to afford the large recent increases in food, petrol, heating plus rent or mortgage costs.

Socially, cigarette smoking is no longer considered an acceptable practice. Legislation has been passed in most developed countries that severely restricts where smokers can indulge their habit. Just about all restaurants, bars, public transport, hire cars, public buildings and workplaces are completely smoke-free.

All of these factors now mean that more smokers than ever are seeking help to quit smoking. There are numerous stop smoking products available (such as nicotine patches and gum) as well as various stop smoking programs.

These programs are usually run by health authorities, doctor’s surgeries and hospitals, and have a very high success rate in helping even the most addicted smoker give up their habit.