These are successful in selected patients. The first step in smoking cessation is for the patient to decide to quit. Seeking advice from a health care practitioner can be very helpful. Many hospital libraries offer patient information services through their computer networks. Additionally, many homes now have personal computers and are able to search the Internet for clues in stopping smoking.
Many addicted patients fail on the first or subsequent attempts to stop smoking.
Failure should not be regarded as an indication of futility. In fact, the more often the patient tries to quit, the more the chances for success. On average, five to seven failures occur before the patient succeeds in stopping. Concerns of smokers about stopping include the problems of weight gain and depression. Weight gain is a concern, particularly in women.