Three out of every four U.S. adult cigarette smokers who tried to quit in the past three months used multiple quit methods during their most recent quit attempt.The three most commonly used methods for trying to quit were giving up cigarettes all at once, or “cold turkey,” reducing the number of cigarettes they smoked, and substituting some cigarettes with e-cigarettes; which was used by about one-third of smokers making quit attempts and was more commonly used than the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, or other FDA-approved cessation aids. Among smokers who tried to quit, one in four reported trying to quit by switching completely to e-cigarettes. However, e-cigarettes are not approved by the FDA as a cessation aid, and further research into the long-term effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid is warranted.Quitting cigarette smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing a serious chronic disease. Although the health benefits are greater for people who stop smoking at an earlier age, there are health benefits to quitting at any age.
