The days when anyone could pretend that smoking was not harmful to the body are long gone, but the struggle of many smokers is very present and real. There are many stop smoking programs to choose from and this may be confusing to those struggling to quit. No one program will work for everyone.

Hypnosis is one of the more important methods which can be used in stop smoking programs, unless you are one that cannot be hypnotized, and therefore it would not be an effective program for you. Hypnosis has many advantages such as, being approved by the medical community, no use of drugs, and no tobacco substitutes during the program. To be successful using a hypnosis program, probably, will require you attend repeat sessions. .

To aid in your desire to stop smoking you can get a prescription medication from your doctor. These medications need physician follow up and tend to be a bit costly. As with other prescription drugs, these medications have been know to have negative side effects. People with certain medical conditions should not take these medications. The risk of smoking versus the risk of the medication must be carefully weighted.

Others may prefer to use an herbal remedy to stop smoking. There are several different herbs and combinations used to help smokers quit and some experimenting may be needed to find the product that works for any one individual. One type is an herb called lobelia which seems to mock the effect of nicotine and helps transition from smoking to smoke free.

Acupuncture is used in some stop smoking programs. One acupuncture method uses the traditional needles to stimulate your energy channels. The needles will stop your urges to smoke. Another method involves placing a surgical staple in your ear, which will remain there until you have finished quitting smoking.

All stop smoking programs also need to provide counseling and support for best results. Some programs use counseling alone without other means except going "cold turkey" and quitting. While physical addiction to tobacco is gone in a few days, the psychological dependency may go on for a very long time, so programs with the highest success also pay attention to the mind of the smoker.