The best method to quit smoking is being committed to doing it. If you approach it as an impossible task it will soon become one. However, having the determination is not enough, willpower can only get us so far before the physical need for nicotine can force you into a situation you won't be able to control. Your addiction to Nicotine has 2 types of triggers: Mental and Physical. Once you have eliminated all of them you will be free of your cigarrette addiction.

Mental Triggers

For each person the triggers can differ but there are often many situations that trigger the impulse for a cigarette.

• Eating
• Waking up in the Morning
• Driving
• Coffee Break
• Boredom
• Anxiety

These mostly boil down to habit and habits are not an easy thing to break. The best tools to combat these triggers are often 'replacement strategies':

• Toothpicks after meals or while driving
• Brushing your teeth with a strong cinnamon toothpaste when you wake up in the morning an after every meal
• Using cinnamon mouthwash whenever possible
• Chewing gum, again cinnamon if possible
• Avoiding your usual lunch spot, coffeeshop or other smokers hangouts - even one second near a smoker is enough to spark your urge

The cinnamon might seem odd, but it turns out that the taste of strong cinnamon combined with the taste of a cigarette is pretty much the worst taste you could imagine. As it turns out, this can be a strong motivator as well as the act of brushing/rinsing/ chewing can be a good physical replacement for smoking.

Physical Triggers

As we all know, nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet, so simply changing your habits is often not enough to get you over the hump and on your way to a sustainable smoke free future. There are many options to combat the physical withdrawal symptoms, which when removed, make dealing with the habitual triggers alot more managable.

• Nicotine gum - Gone are the days when would taste like a wad of newspaper that was used to clean out the ashtray. This stuff can taste pretty good. It is alot cheaper too, up to 75% in some cases, and can be covered by medical insurance with a percription.
• Nicotine Patch - Simple to use, and again can be covered by insurance
• Nicotine Inhaler - Like the gum and patch is a nicotine replacement tool.
• Percription Drugs - Zyban is the one I know of. It can be costly without the appropriate insurance, but in many cases they can remove a large portion of your cravings. A little birdie tells me that they are also anti-depressants as well, which is apparently a bonus when dealing with people quitting smoking
• Acupuncture, Laser Therapy, Hypnosis - These all have some merit, but I think alot of it comes from you believing it will. I have seen these methods work.

As bad as the physical symptoms can seem at times, have hope. After 21 days being nicotine free your body will have 'kicked the habit'. So don't dispair, you only need to last 3 weeks!

Finally...

Most of all, you need to stay away from people when they are smoking. If you go outside and chat with your smokers buddies at coffee break, it would take a will of iron to prevent the eventual sparkup.

Be smart, Be committed and most of all remember that it can be done.