Anyone who's ever tried to give up smoking knows it's not easy.

Research has shown that giving up cigarettes for good can take as many as five separate attempts.  But, luckily, that hasn't stopped smokers wanting to try.  Nearly half of all smokers in England (44 per cent) resolved to give up smoking in 2011, according to recent NHS research.  And even if they only try once, it's worth it, says Professor Robert West of the Health Behaviour Researcg Centre at University College London and the UKCTCS.

"For thos that can make it a whole week without smoking, the chances of success are four times greater than when they started," he explained.

Considering that smoking has now been proven to cause over 2,000 deaths every week in the UK, and kills more people under the age of 70 than breast cancer, Aids, traffic accidents and drug addiction combined, it does seem strange that anyone should still be smoking at all.  But, as the Department of Health spokesperson explains, nicotine is highly addictive.

As no one method of quitting works for everyone, smokers may have to try a few different treatments until they find one that works for them.  Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), in the form of patches, gum or tablets or the inhalator (which looks like a plastic cigarette and releases nicotine vapour into your mouth and throat) are the most popular and most successful methods, with research showing that they can double chances of quitting sucessfully.

For more information on how to quit smoking, go to the NHS Smokefree website.

The Shuttle, pg 34, 5 Jan, 2012