Quitting smoking is one of the hardest tasks to ever accomplish. However, as more and more municipalities ban smoking in public places, now is a great time to give it a go for the first (or fiftieth) time.

While smoking is dangerous to you and those around you (and even to those who visit your home, whether you light up in their presence or not), it’s important to realize that smoking is an addiction.  Certain properties in nicotine have addictive qualities, and to be truthful, they are not all bad. Nicotine can help people focus, make them more alert and can soothe frazzled nerves. It’s the other stuff that cigarettes are made up of – the cancer-causing carcinogens – that are so harmful. In short, if nicotine could be bottled or manufactured without the rest of a cigarette’s components, we might all find ourselves racing out to buy some.

Of course, that is not the case and since there are several natural methods of learning to focus and calm your nerves, smoking should not be considered a good device for achieving those “feel-good” moments.

Quitting: Getting Started

The horror stories surrounding quitting smoking abound. Ask anyone who has quit, and you’re not likely to find a single person say it was easy. So how can you get some help to tackle this beast head-on? Take a look:

Cold Turkey – For those who have said, “I’ve had it, I’m done,” there is the cold turkey method. You simply quit altogether without cutting back, using medications, etc. If you’re a very strong-willed person, or if you’ve recently been diagnosed with an illness or disease that is directly affected by your smoking, this might be the quit choice for you.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy – Nicotine patches are often used in a step-down method, whereby they deliver a certain amount of nicotine to the body, gradually lessening the amounts until the body no longer craves it. Those using nicotine replacement therapies (also including gums, lozenges, sprays and inhalers) are urged NOT to smoke while using these devices, as this will both defeat the purpose of the step-down treatment and may overdose the quitter’s body with nicotine.

Medications – There are medications on the market to help smokers kick their habit for good. Unlike nicotine patches, medications such as Zyban and Chantix do not deliver nicotine into the body, and quitters are allowed to smoke in the beginning of treatment. Once the medication reaches a steady state in the body, cravings are reduced to the point of none at all.

An interesting note: Zyban is really a renamed version of Wellbutrin (generic name, buproprion), an anti-depressant. In clinical studies for Wellbutrin, subjects reported fewer cravings for cigarettes, and thus the manufacturing company pursued FDA approval to repackage Wellbutrin as Zyban for smoking cessation.

Hypnosis/Acupuncture/Herbal Preparations – For every person who has had success with these methods, there are several more who haven’t. They can be costly and are not regulated, so explore at your own risk.

While all of these methods have merit in their own right, medications and nicotine replacement therapies are often favored since they ease the quitter out of the addiction, slowly reducing their dependence on nicotine.

Don’t Forget a Key Component

Possibly the foremost key to success in smoking cessation is simply a change in habit, also known as behavior modification. If a smoker lights up first thing in the morning, they should distract themselves with a shower, cup of coffee or breakfast instead. If a cigarette is part of the daily ride to work, the quitter should take a different route to work, drive with the windows open or take public transportation. Any change in the routine will help offset the quitter’s auto-response to light up a cigarette.

If the hand-to-mouth motion is what the quitter misses most, chewing gum, gnawing on the end of a pen, or drinking a glass of water may suffice. Type an email, write a letter, cook a meal or take a walk to keep the hands occupied.

While quitting smoking is not easy, there are plenty of resources to help a person be successful. There are many websites and support groups available for quitters, and online discussion boards can be a great place to share your successes and downfalls, as well as get and give inspiration.

Best of luck to you on your smoking cessation goals. Your lungs (and family and friends and co-workers) will thank you, for sure!

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Liberty Kontranowski is a freelance writer and blogger with hundreds of health, sex and lifestyle articles published online and print. She is a frequent contributor to eDrugstore.md, the top-rated online drugstore.