Mark Twain, the American author and humorist, once remarked that it was easy to quit smoking; he had "done it a hundred times."

Kidding aside, the reason why most people find it difficult to quit is because they're hooked on nicotine, one of the most powerful poisons and a highly addictive drug.

It’s so hard to expel this drug from the body that some of the world's finest minds have been hooked for life.

One good example of a person who failed in his attempts to quit smoking was Sigmund Freud, the Austrian founder of psychoanalysis.

Freud smoked 20 cigars a day even though his doctor warned him that it could affect his heart. In spite of this, he continued smoking and soon developed cancerous sores on his palate and jaw.

He underwent a total of 33 operations during which most of his jaw was removed. Often, he was in severe pain and unable to speak or eat. Yet he could not break his smoking habit and died of cancer at 83.

Heroin addicts say abandoning tobacco is harder than abandoning cigarettes. One reason why smokers can’t kick the habit is because of the many withdrawal symptoms they experience which may last for months. These include extreme anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, and dizziness.

But that doesn't mean the situation is hopeless. You can quit if you want to. It will be easier with the support of family members and friends. And if you finally quit, the benefits are enormous.

"Because nicotine is an addictive drug, quitting smoking can be difficult - in fact, most people fail in their first attempt. As difficult as it may be to stop, however, it is not impossible. Each year three million Americans are successful, although many of them failed on previous attempts. The reasons many people initially fail vary, depending on how long and how much they smoked, their sensitivity to the drug, and how well they prepared for their attempt," according to Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.”

Within 12 hours after quitting, your body starts healing itself. Your heart and lungs will be cleared of nicotine and carbon monoxide. You'll breathe easier, feel better, and your cough will disappear. Above all, you'll live longer.

From time to time though, you may have the urge to smoke. Some may even go back to their old habit of smoking. But that's all right. Many fail on their first attempt to stop smoking only to succeed later. As long as you slowly decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke daily, you're already making a big step in the right direction.

"Remember, there is no reason to give up trying to quit even after a failed attempt or two or more. If you failed in your past efforts to stop smoking, do not be discouraged, instead learn from your experiences and set another stop date. Making a commitment to stop and then following through with an attempt to stop can be a most rewarding accomplishment and of incalculable importance to your continued good health and the health of others," Larson said. (Next: Don’t give in to smoking.)

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