Should Smokers Quit Abruptly or Gradually?

The main approaches to quitting smoking are abrupt cessation (sometimes called “cold turkey”) and gradual reduction of smoking before quitting. U.S. clinical practice guidelines, as well as pharmaceutical labels required by the U.S. FDA, strongly imply that smokers should try to quit smoking abruptly as part of various quit regimens. However, some smokers prefer to gradually decrease their nicotine intake. In a Cochrane review of 10 randomized controlled trials conducted in various clinical settings in several countries, researchers assessed quit rates at least 6 months postintervention (gradual reduction or abrupt cessation) in 3760 smokers who wanted to quit smoking. Smoking status was verified biologically in 7 studies.

Quit rates were 14…