If you have been a regular smoker for a number of years stopping the habit is not an easy task but you can get help to quit smoking.
If you're just a social smoker on say, up to ten cigarettes a day, then you may be able to go cold turkey and just give it up without any assistance, especially if you find that others around you are increasingly against smoking.
If however you are smoking considerably more than ten a day then you have a serious habit and will probably need help in beating it.
You should first of all tell your family and friends that you are giving up smoking and get them on your side.
They can help in a practical way by getting rid of ash trays from the house and perhaps freshening up the carpets to eliminate any stale odours.
You probably don't notice this if your senses have been dulled over the years, but, your sense of smell should gradually return and you don't want unpleasant reminders of tobacco.
Your partner, family and friends can help psychologically as well of course, by being there for you and help with support during the difficult period of withdrawal.
The habit of smoking is one aspect that needs to be addressed and, when you find yourself instinctively reaching for a cigarette you may need to be distracted or have your motivation reinforced.
During the period of withdrawal you may well find yourself becoming more generally irritable or anxious and your partner and family need to be aware of this and to make allowances.
If you have a friend in the same boat as yourself it can help enormously if you both give up the habit together as you can add a competitive element to your endeavour to give extra motivation.
The physical aspect of quitting smoking is overcoming the addiction.
There is no doubt that nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug and when you stop smoking you are liable to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, difficulty in concentrating and a feeling of craving.
Your chances of quitting are improved probably by taking some form of nicotine replacement.
These can be obtained over the counter in the form of chewing gum, skin patches, inhalers, nasal sprays, or lozenges and, if used sensibly with the intention of course of gradually cutting them out altogether can be very helpful.
It is best to seek the advice of your doctor before you stop smoking so that he can assess what degree of addiction you need to overcome.
If it is considerable he may prescribe a drug such as bupropion (Zyban) which helps to lessen withdrawal symptoms but which needs to be started a couple of weeks before the date when you actually stop smoking.
An alternative route to quitting would be to seek the help of an acupuncturist or hypnotherapist.
These kinds of therapies may not be for everyone but there is little doubt that they have worked for many.
There would be a cost involved but this in itself could be an extra incentive for it to work! Further help is available from local and national organisations and you can find details of these in your telephone directory or from your doctor's surgery.
There are even online help agencies so that you don't need to feel alone in your fight to quit smoking.
At the end of the day it is your own desire to succeed which will see you through and you can help yourself by being pro-active in this.
For example try to avoid at least for a while places where there are likely to be smokers.
Try not to take your coffee break at work with colleagues who smoke.
If offered a cigarette say "no thanks, I've given up" and mean it.
That way you assert your self esteem and earn the respect of others.
With the right help you can quit smoking and you will be glad you did.