Going "Cold Turkey" on Cigarettes Leads to Higher Quit Rates

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Adults who quit smoking altogether on a chosen day — rather than gradually reducing how much they smoke — are more likely to quit successfully, suggests a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Nearly 700 adult smokers were randomized to either gradual or abrupt cessation. With gradual cessation, participants set a quit date and incrementally decreased their amount of smoking for 2 weeks before that date. With abrupt cessation, participants set a quit date and did not change their smoking habits before that date. Both groups received nicotine-replacement therapy before and after quitting, as well as behavioral support after quitting.

The primary outcome — smoking abstinence 4 weeks after quitting — was achieved more often with abrupt than gradual cessation (49% vs. 39% of participants). Abstinence rates continued to favor the abrupt-cessation group at 6 months (22% vs. 16%).

The researchers conclude, "These results imply that, in clinical practice, we should encourage persons to stop smoking abruptly and not gradually."