If you're smoker who wants to quit smoking, you'll need to know that it can be quite difficult to do but it is achievable. Only a few hardened souls have succeeded the first time they've tried to quit, but for the rest of us mortals, it would not be surprising if it took more than a few attempts to finally kick the habit.

But in spite of what you see as a really hard task, if you set a positive intention and are committed to your outcome you can succeed

According to the US Surgeon General: "Quitting smoking is the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the quality and length of their lives".

There are two important things that you need to have in order to quit smoking successfully - a plan and the support of the people around you.

You'll also need to set a date for when you actually want to start and be positive and committed to doing it. There are several methods you could follow, just pick one that you feel will work best for you, and then make a plan around using the method you've chosen.

Quitting cold turkey is one way to go about it, and of course, it was the way smokers quit smoking before the advent of such things as nicotine replacement products. Nicotine replacement products have been available by prescription for some time, but it's only relatively recently that they've been available over the counter and without a prescription. This can make it much easier to get them and you don't have to wait for your doctor to write a prescription. A very good thing if you're someone who can't handle cravings well.

Now, it should be noted that nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum or nicotine patches aren't going to completely remove your cravings. They are only meant to take the edge off your nicotine cravings so that you can power your way through them. The two most popular of these are nicotine patches or nicotine gum.

Nicotine patches work by releasing a small amount of nicotine into your bloodstream to your skin. You attach them to your body via adhesive and they release nicotine slowly throughout the course of the day. It should be noted that some people experience skin irritation from the nicotine patches; however, in some cases this can be alleviated by changing location of the nicotine patch every time you apply a new one, usually every 24 hours.

Nicotine gum works somewhat similarly to nicotine patches in that when you chew the gum, you ingest a small amount of nicotine and therefore control cravings. Again, nicotine gum is not meant to completely alleviate cravings, only take the edge off of them enough so that you can withstand them rather than giving in and lighting up. Nicotine gum may be especially useful for people who experience skin irritation from the nicotine patches or who missed the oral stimulation lighting up and puffing on a cigarette can give them. The gum helps give you some of the oral activity you may be missing so that again, you're less likely to light up.

Another method to quit smoking is to find a support group or a buddy as you work your way through the process. You can also talk with therapists specially trained in smoking cessation to help you deal with the difficulties that come up when you're working through the process of quitting. Of course, the buddy system is a good idea because you can work with someone who is also going through what you're going through. As much as non-smoking friends, for example, would like to be supportive when you want to quit, to them it's not a big deal that you're going to quit smoking cigarettes. Their attitude may be, "Well, just quit." However, if you have a buddy who knows what you're going through, you can each be the moral support for one another as you work toward your goal of quitting. An experienced friend who is an ex smoker is also a good person to buddy up with, since he or she will know exactly what you're going through and can tell you how he or she got through it.