Have you tried everything to quit that disgusting smoking habit, but nothing’s worked? Well, if you want to finally give it up for good, your best bet is to just stop smoking.

The American Cancer Society recommends that smokers trying to quit should go “cold turkey” rather than wean themselves off tobacco gradually, and in case you missed it, science has now proven them right.

• New research out of Oxford University seems to confirm that the best way to quit smoking is to do it “cold turkey.” The study looked at 697 adult smokers, breaking them down into two groups, one that abruptly stopped smoking, and another that gradually reduced smoking by 75% over two weeks, before finally quitting. Both groups had access to support from nurses, as well as nicotine patches and other forms of nicotine replacement therapy.

• What researchers found was that by the fourth week of the study, 49% of the “cold turkey” group were still off tobacco, while only 39% of the gradual quitters could say the same. And after six months, 22% of those who abruptly quit were still tobacco-free, while only 15% of the gradual group were still not smoking.

But regardless of the numbers, it may be hard to convince people to go “cold turkey.” The research found that most people were more in favor of the gradual method, even if it isn’t as successful.

Source: CBS News