A tough battle What really helps you quit smoking?
Quitting tobacco is difficult, experts say.
Image: dpa
Some people smell the ashtray to help them quit (archive image).
Image: dpa
The first few days in particular can be characterized by strong withdrawal symptoms (archive image).
Image: dpa
Quitting tobacco is difficult, experts say.
Image: dpa
Some people smell the ashtray to help them quit (archive image).
Image: dpa
The first few days in particular can be characterized by strong withdrawal symptoms (archive image).
Image: dpa
Quitting smoking: It's a tough road for many. Ingrained rituals can be a bigger problem than the nicotine addiction itself, say experts. This offers starting points.
30.05.2025, 23:16
31.05.2025, 09:14
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- May 31 is World No Tobacco Day.
- According to experts, it often takes several attempts to quit smoking.
- Almost everyone manages to quit smoking at some point.
Nicotine patches, a strong will, the social environment - what is the key to quitting smoking? According to experts, it often takes several attempts - and support from those around you. Statistically speaking, a combination of nicotine replacement therapy and support - in special groups or in other ways - is the most promising, says Marina Hinssen from the Charité hospital in Berlin.
The Frankfurt Institute for Addiction Research surveyed almost 6200 smokers and ex-smokers in 2022. When asked what helped them to quit, over 2000 participants mentioned their willpower. In second place was the support of their social environment. Nicotine replacement therapy was the game changer for just over 1000 respondents.
What motivates quitters?
According to the survey, those who had stopped smoking needed an average of around four serious attempts to quit. The turning point was often an illness or, in the case of women, pregnancy. Some also quit for their children, grandchildren or partners. A frequently cited motivation was "bad smell".
What helps people to persevere?
The first step is to set a quit date, says Gertraud Stadler from the Charité hospital in Berlin. Conditions such as an upcoming vacation with a change of location are helpful. "Anything that helps to break habits."
The first few days can be characterized by strong withdrawal symptoms. Social support, encouragement and praise are important during this time, explains Stadler. This is not an easy time for the partner either, as the smoker is very irritable and also shows physical symptoms such as sweating.
Distraction and walks are helpful. Nicotine patches and chewing gum can help to decouple the habit from the behavior and balance out the nicotine, as Stadler says.
Many participants in the Frankfurt study found substitute actions helpful: in addition to eating and exercise, "five push-ups when I have the urge to smoke" and "smelling the ashtray" were mentioned, for example.
What makes quitting difficult?
Smoking together is difficult to replace. Study participants frequently mentioned rituals associated with reaching for a cigarette: Smoking breaks at work or meeting other smokers in the pub, for example.
The Frankfurt analysis states "that behavioral aspects, in particular long-standing habits and situations with a trigger function, are significantly more important for maintaining smoking habits than manifest symptoms of addiction".
So are the overall chances rather low?
No, as Hinssen says: "Almost everyone manages to stop smoking at some point. "If I really want to be mentally free and independent, then of course it works by positively replacing the whole thing and really changing my structures and habits." Behavioral approaches are more important than focusing on nicotine addiction.
Official regulations also play a role here. In Australia, for example, smoking is not allowed in many public places and people must keep their distance from entrances. "These social measures are actually the most effective," says Stadler. It is then easier for smokers to smoke less in public places and become smoke-free.
Do e-cigarettes help people to stop smoking cigarettes?
There is no clear answer to this question, says Hinssen, team leader of the "nachvorn" smoking prevention project. Statistically speaking, the chances of success are slightly higher if you stop smoking tobacco cigarettes with an e-cigarette containing nicotine. However, a large proportion then stick with the e-cigarette and have basically only shifted their addiction: the nicotine dependency persists. And according to initial study results, e-cigarettes also have health consequences.
What is known about the risks of e-cigarettes?
Although the overall amount of harmful substances in e-cigarettes is lower than in tobacco cigarettes, they still affect the respiratory tract and put a strain on the cardiovascular system, says Hinssen. In addition, there are substances released during the vaporization process about whose health effects little is yet known - because there has been a lack of long-term studies to date.
Stadler adds that vaping is less harmful to the environment. It is also expected that the lower amount of carcinogenic substances will result in less lung cancer and fewer other types of cancer as well as less cardiovascular pollution. At the same time, however, we do not know whether there are increased risks from other substances. "The trivialization of e-cigarettes should raise a very big question mark."
