You can double your chances of quitting for good if you use nicotine replacement therapy instead of going cold turkey. NRT works by replacing some of the nicotine you used to get from smoking. The idea is to stop the cigarette habit by separating the actual process of quitting from nicotine withdrawal. In three to six months you should be smoke-free and over your addiction.

NRT gets nicotine into your system without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco smoke that can wreck your health. Continuing to have some nicotine in your system curbs your withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The idea is that once you have got out of the habit of smoking, you can then gradually cut your nicotine intake.

Chewing gum, patches, inhalators and under-the-tongue tablets are all available over the counter. Nasal sprays may require a prescription. You shouldn’t use NRT until you have completely stopped smoking.

Using NRT is safer than smoking but you may want to consult your GP first if you are pregnant or have heart problems.

Julie Walker, a secretary from Wimbledon, had a few attempts at giving up smoking using nicotine patches, but didn’t succeed until she tried the under the tongue tablets.

‘It was the psychological thing about being able to put something in my mouth to satisfy the cravings,’ she says. ‘With the patch I found that when I went to the pub after work I had a real urge for a cigarette, but there was nothing I could do about it. All too often I gave into the temptation of the offered cigarette.’

There are various forms of NRT we will discuss later such as Nicorettes Microtabs, Nicorettes Imhalator, and Nicotine Patches.

You can always try to quit smoking cold turkey, still the most popular way.