About 48 million Americans smoke cigarettes, but most smokers are either actively trying to quit or want to quit. And each year about 1.3 million smokers do quit. With good smoking cessation programs, 20 to 40 percent of participants are able to quit smoking and stay off cigarettes for at least one year.

So why then do some smokers find it hard to quit smoking and go on to fail a number of times, while they are trying to quit. You may be motivated to quit smoking once you admit that you are smoking due to addiction and not personal choice. If you find it difficult to quit then here are few tips to help you quit smoking.

• If you try to quit smoking with the help of programs then there are more chances of succeeding. You should find a suitable program or practice combination of two or more programs to quit smoking. You can find various cheap programs through American cancer society.• You can attend meetings organized to help smokers quit smoking. • You can use a nicotine patch or gum as a replacement method for nicotine. These methods are not addictive and help you to reduce your nicotine craving which is what makes cigarettes addictive.• You can get help from quit-smoking tapes or books. Listening to these tapes may help you find a way to solve your problem.• You should develop a strong will power so that you do not give in to the urge of smoking. • Support from your family members is an essential part as they can provide encouragement and support while you make you lifestyle change. You can consult your doctor for advice. • You need to make up your mind to quit smoking. For this, you need to prepare a list why you want to quit smoking and keep it with you wherever you go. Going through the list will help you to overcome the temptation that you may feel to light up a cigarette. • It is essential to learn slow breathing techniques in order to quit smoking. Taking long breaths and slowing exhaling relieves all your tension and overcomes the urge of smoking.• Drinking 8-10 glasses of water in a day is helpful in removing toxins from the body. To quit smoking you should avoid alcohol, coffee and high calorie snacks. • Finding a substitute also proves a good idea to quit smoking.

To quit smoking you need to have patience, as only practicing the tips continuously will help you solve your problem. Try the above-mentioned tips and get rid of smoking.