What Is a Smoking Cessation Program?

In 2020, around 31 million adults in the U.S. smoked cigarettes — about 13% of the population. Each year, nearly 500,000 people die from illnesses due to smoking, like lung cancer. More than half of smokers want to quit or have attempted to quit in the past year. 

Smoking cessation is the process of ending your addiction to nicotine and cigarettes and living a smoke-free life. You’ll likely know this already: Quitting smoking can benefit many areas of your life, including your health, finances, and relationships. You may also enjoy a sense of pride in your ability to kick a difficult habit. 

Stopping smoking is scary for many people. Maybe you’ve tried before. Maybe you think you won’t be able to. Whatever your situation, you’re not alone. There is support, and there are many options to get you to a smoke-free, healthier life. 

Smoking cessation programs are one way that you can approach quitting smoking. Read on to learn more about what they are, how they work, and ways that you can go about reaching your goal of living a smoke-free life. 

What is a smoking cessation program?

A smoking cessation program is a program that offers support and help for smokers trying to quit. They may provide medications to help manage cravings. They can also provide counseling, support groups, and education. These programs may be available in different settings and through different organizations, such as:

• Hospitals

• Doctors’ offices

• Health insurance companies

• Community centers

• Employers

• State programs

Quitting smoking provides many benefits, including:

• Better health and quality of life

• Improved health of pregnant women and their babies

• Lower risk of different types of cancers 

• Lower risk of lung diseases

• Lower risk of cardiovascular diseases

• Lower risk of premature death

If you are a smoker interested in quitting, a smoking cessation program can provide the tools and support you need to reach your goals.

How do smoking cessation programs work?

Smoking cessation programs work by combining support and counseling with medications. Depending on the program, you may have access to:

• Medications to help relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms, manage cravings, and reduce the pleasure associated with smoking

• Counseling, either in a group setting or individually

• Reading and other educational materials on the benefits of quitting

• Support available by phone, internet, or text message

Smoking cessation programs may teach important skills like:

• How to avoid or manage triggers for smoking

• Ways to cope with cravings

• Relapse prevention

• How to maintaining motivation for quitting 

Are smoking cessation programs effective?

Research on smoking cessation programs shows that they are effective in helping people quit. People who use these programs have better outcomes than those who don’t use them. Even programs offered through computers and text messaging are effective. One study found that teens who participated in programs were more likely to quit than their peers who didn’t. 

Overall, the benefits of participating in a smoking cessation program are great, and the risks are low. Using such a program may help you reach your goal of quitting smoking. If you struggle with quitting, don’t get discouraged. Research shows that it may take an average of 30 attempts to quit smoking. Though it can be difficult, the benefits are worthwhile. 

Why do smoking cessation programs work?

Smoking cessation programs seem to work because they combine several different tools to help people quit. Depending on the program, a participant may receive education on the benefits of quitting, support in the form of counseling, and even medication. 

This approach targets both the emotional and biological aspects of smoking. Medications can help relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings, which can make it easier to tolerate discomfort in the beginning. 

At the same time, supportive counseling can help keep people motivated to quit and aid them in using healthy coping skills when they feel triggered to smoke.

Are there other ways to quit smoking?

In addition to smoking cessation programs, there are alternative ways to quit smoking. Some of these can be combined with the help of a smoking cessation program. 

Cold turkey

Quitting smoking “cold turkey” means quitting abruptly. Some smokers choose a designated day and quit on that day. This is different from the tapering or cutting-down method, where a smoker gradually reduces the amount they smoke over a period of time. 

Research has not found that one method is better than another. So if you’re a smoker, you can choose which method you prefer. However, quitting cold turkey or tapering without any support may put you at risk of relapse. Rather than doing either method on your own, combining one of them with the support of a program can increase the odds that you quit successfully. 

Medications

The use of medications to help quit smoking is called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT contains small amounts of nicotine that you can decrease over time. This helps reduce the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal and helps manage cravings. A person can taper off of nicotine without exposure to the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The most common types of NRT are:

• Gum

• Patches

• Lozenges

These forms of NRT are available over the counter and do not require a prescription. 

There are also two prescription medications that are FDA approved to help you quit smoking:

• Bupropion (Zyban) is an antidepressant that also helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

• Varenicline (Chantix) affects the brain in a way that causes smoking to feel less enjoyable, which can make it easier to quit. 

There is some evidence to suggest that varenicline (Chantix) is more effective than bupropion (Zyban). Combining the two medications may improve outcomes. If you are interested in trying one of these medications, ask a healthcare provider if one or both is right for you.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine where tiny needles are inserted into specific points on the body. Some people use it to quit smoking because it is believed to help reduce nicotine cravings. 

However, studies on acupuncture for smoking cessation show mixed results. Research suggests that there may be some short-term benefits to acupuncture. But the long-term benefits of acupuncture on smoking cessation are not confirmed. It’s possible that combining acupuncture with psychological treatment for smoking is more effective than acupuncture alone. 

Hypnosis

Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, is another form of alternative medicine. During hypnosis, a person is put into a deep state of relaxation and then given suggestions. It is believed that receiving suggestions while in a trance-like state allows the person to be more open to change. 

Some people find that it can help decrease the desire to smoke and increase motivation to quit. However, the research on hypnosis for quitting smoking has not found it to be as effective as other methods, like counseling. 

How to find a smoking cessation program

There are many free resources and smoking cessation programs available to help you quit smoking. To get started, you can:

• Talk to your healthcare provider about your desire to quit and create a plan with them.

• Contact the National Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free support. You can also find information on your state’s local quitline.

• Reach out to the National Texting Portal by texting “QuitNow” to 333888. The free texting service provides evidence-based advice and tips in both English and Spanish.

• Create your own personalized quit plan with the help of the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. 

• Download a free app like QuitGuide or QuitStart, which allows you to track your moods and cravings, monitor progress, and stay motivated.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified perinatal mental health professional with over 10 years of clinical experience.

Reviewed by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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