Waking up in the morning, grabbing that first cup of freshly brewed coffee, and going outside to have the first nicotine fix of the day is a shared routine by most smokers. In fact, it is commonly seen as the best. The majority of smokers in the United States agree that that first puff of the day is the greatest part of the day. This smoker concurs. Although the lungs are still trying to clear up some room from yesterday’s smoke for air, that first cigarette at the dawn of day is a necessity. It is the equivalence of relieving the bladder that has sat all night. That first fix of the day relaxes any tension and worry about the day ahead. All becomes right with a little puff. That is, until the urge comes back. Tensions rise, worries cloud your thoughts, you find your fingers running along your lips, reminding you of what must be done. This response is cyclical, and continues the rest of the day until you pass out between fix intervals.

For 46.6 million Americans who smoke each year, this is their curse. Yes, it is their fault that they still smoke, but absolute blame cannot be bestowed on them. At some point in their lives something other than the cigarette itself convinced them to smoke. For some, it is a habit derived from constantly being around legal guardians who did it when they were young. For others, it could be pressure from others in a social network to look “cool,” or idolizing an actor or public figure who smokes, or even a simple instance of misguided curiosity. But for whatever reason, the sad truth is that no matter how easy it was to start, it is exponentially more difficult to quit. And until you have had to go through it, do not attempt to think you know how easy or hard it is.

Sure, there are many choices out there for smokers to choose from in way of kicking the habit. There is the gum, which introduces nicotine at a lower dose, and without many of the harmful additives present in a traditional cigarette. Those are notoriously disgusting in taste, deterring many smokers from quitting. However, some companies like Nicorette are now offering gum coated in multiple flavors to help with the taste. The gum is dangerous, though, because without weaning off the nicotine by chewing less progressively or less often, some people will simply chew beginning quantities of it, effectively replacing one habit for another, still remaining dependent on the nicotine fix. Also, someone can ingest extremely high amounts of the gum that can lead to medical complications.

Another tool for quitting that is well known is the nicotine patch, which contains levels of nicotine that is taken in through the skin. One perk of the nicotine patch is that it is able to be applied under garments, and without any obvious indication of its presence, such as chewing or inhaling. This is a popular demand from quitting smokers because there is the need in some to hide the fact that it is there. Like the gum, however, the patches have some of the same pitfalls. Since they do administer nicotine into the bloodstream, they can simply be used as a substitute for cigarettes, rather than fully weaning off the drug. Although healthier than smoking, this is no final solution, for the dependency commonly remains. Additionally, just as with the gum, too high an amount of patches can be applied, causing severe medical problems. Think of Nick Naylor in Thank You for Smoking.

Yet another form of quitting is a plastic cigarette, which is a plastic device that looks like a cigarette, has replaceable nicotine capsules, and is inhaled, somewhat reminiscent of smoking a traditional cigarette. Two great perks to this method is that it enacts the same physical motions as smoking a cigarette, helping kick the physical habit, which can be just as hard as quitting the nicotine addiction; and since it is inhaled, it is extremely hard to ingest enough to cause severe medical complications. The amount would have to be equivalent to the number of traditional cigarettes needed to cause the complications. Additionally, an added bonus is that the nicotine inhaled does not contain many of the malicious additives in many traditional cigarettes. The one downside that makes this method unpopular is that smokers commonly report feeling foolish smoking a piece of plastic, and do not want to be ridiculed by fellow smokers.

And, of course, there is the “cold turkey” way, also known as “cold feet.” This means simply the cessation of ingesting any nicotine at all. Whereas the other methods involve reduced amounts over a progression of time, this method stops “cold” all nicotine ingestion. It is unquestionably the most difficult way to quit, as the need for both the fix and the physical habit is still present. This is the most popular, and also the most unsuccessful method. It takes a very determined individual with a strong will (not well known with smokers) to effectively use this method. The upside is that there are no substitutions for the nicotine being used, so there is little chance for simply trading it for dependence on another source of nicotine. There is, however, a very high chance that the individual will replace the physical habit of smoking with another physical activity. Some of the most common include chewing gum (non-nicotine), toothpicks, or fingernails; drinking coffee; eating; drinking alcoholic beverages; etc. Unfortunately, eating is a common replacement for smoking, especially since nicotine is an appetite suppressor. The individual and others around him/her must be on the lookout for heightened appetites and increased eating habits.

For this smoker, “cold turkey” was the method of choice. It was, and still is extremely difficult. No matter which method you choose, the desire to smoke will never fully go away for good. It will return periodically. But the key to quitting and staying off it is to keep active. And that certainly does not strictly mean exercise, although that is a good deterrent. Simply keeping busy throughout the day keeps the mind preoccupied with things other than it would if you sat on the couch watching television all day. But of course there will be those moments of downtime. Whether it is taking a break and watching the news, seeing a movie with a special someone, blogging endlessly, or going out with the buds for a night on the town, the urge to smoke will rear its ugly head and tell you, “Just one.” There is no avoiding it; this will happen from time to time. Just remember that the key is keeping busy, and having the will to, as cliché as it is, say no to that demonic little voice in your head in the form of a cigarette. Take it from this ex-smoker, with perseverance and determination, anyone can stop smoking. And in the meantime, the house can get cleaned.