As smokers across London prepare to quit for New Year they’re being asked to rethink going ‘cold turkey’ and instead get free digital or face to face stop smoking help to increase their chances of success.

A quick review of Google Trends data reveals that stop smoking and quit smoking searches spike in the first week of January as smokers make the decision to quit. Data from the last five years shows that, although these peaks are still happening, since the pandemic the relative volume has dropped. This decrease in people searching for help to quit is something that stop smoking experts in London want to reverse.

According to free digital and telephone service, Stop Smoking London, fewer people are trying to quit smoking by using proven methods [1], with many preferring to go ‘cold turkey’. Proven quit methods include free support from a trained tobacco dependence advisor, proper use of over the counter nicotine replacement products, vaping or prescribed medication.

Tracy Parr, Programme Director for Stop Smoking London said: “Many people mistakenly believe that stopping suddenly and completely is the best way to stop smoking. But, when you go cold turkey like this, what you are doing is sending your body straight into nicotine withdrawal. What we want people to know is that you’re three times as likely to quit with the right stop smoking tools and support from a free local stop smoking service.”

Louise Ross, Clinical Consultant, National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training has highlighted three steps that smokers can take to maximise their chances of success:

Get free support. This could be through the Stop Smoking London website and telephone helpline or through your GP or pharmacist.
Use clean nicotine to help you. It’s the chemicals and tar in tobacco that kills, not nicotine. Nicotine replacement patches combined with lozenges or gum or a vape are your friends if you’re a smoker trying to stop.
Accept that stopping smoking isn’t easy. Make this the time that you do it for good and you’ll never have to go through this again.
Respiratory Pharmacist Darush Attar said: “When it comes to helping people stop smoking the support side of things is very important. But we also have lots of treatments available as well. Things like nicotine replacement therapies have been around for a very long time. The advantage of the patch is it’s very discreet but to ensure your success, you also need something to break through nicotine cravings. Shorter acting products like a mouth spray, lozenges, inhalator or gum are useful for tackling your triggers head on and stop you reaching for tobacco.”

Smokers in London who want to stop smoking in January are urged to visit the Stop Smoking London website at www.stopsmokinglondon.com to get telephone counselling and support to stop or to find their local face-to-face stop smoking service which provides free, personalised, one-to-one support to help you quit.