Founded in July 1999, WhyQuit is home to cold turkey quitting. While most visitors are trying to stop smoking, millions vaping e-cigs are increasingly discovering that dreams of gradual weaning off nicotine haven't worked. Whether a slave to inhaled or juiced nicotine, WhyQuit's mission remains the same. We're here to share key abrupt nicotine cessation insights, together with as much support and motivation as desired, in assisting you in remaining loyal to your commitment to never take another puff, vape, dip or chew.
So, whether addicted to nicotine from cigarettes, e-cigs, pouches, dip, snus, chewing tobacco, cigars, beedies, a pipe, hookah, or nicotine replacement products such as the gum, lozenge, inhaler, spray or patch, you're in the right place!
Because it works. As the U.S. Surgeon General acknowledged in January 2020, most who successfully quit do so cold turkey "without medications or any type of formal assistance" and at rates "as well or better than those who use over-the-counter NRTs."
Cold turkey is fast, free, safe, effective and highly productive. But don't take our word for it or the Attorney General's. Ask all ex-smoking friends who have not allowed any nicotine into their bloodstream for at least one year how they quit. You'll discover a giant turkey in the room.
Cold turkey is the abrupt and complete cessation of nicotine use, without resort to any quitting product or procedure, including but not limited to: replacement nicotine (the nicotine patch, gum, lozenge, spray or inhaler), any smoking cessation medication (Chantix, Champix or Zyban), any shots, herbs or other pills, any smokeless or other tobacco product, any type of e-cigarette (including reliance upon nicotine-free juices), or any form of hypnosis, acupuncture, or other procedure.
Imagine becoming smarter and wiser than nicotine's grip upon us. Real drug addicts in every sense, we'll never be stronger than nicotine. But then we don't need to be. Nicotine is simply a chemical with an I.Q. of zero. It cannot think, plan, plot or conspire and is not some monster or demon that dwells within. Our greatest weapon has always been our intelligence but only if put to work.
Thousands of WhyQuit links, millions of words, and hundreds of videos, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Don't. In a nutshell, "motivation" is simply about keeping your quitting reasons and dreams robust and fueled, "education" is about understanding exactly what it takes to both succeed and fail (The Law of Addiction), and "support" is about having a place to turn if challenged.
If a newbie, start with the basics: Joel's "How to Quit" video, his Daily Quitting Lesson's Guide, Joel's "Never Take Another Puff" ebook, or John's "Smart Turkey" ebook that will take less than an hour to read. If wishing to go deeper, read John's "Freedom from Nicotine - The Journey Home." ebook. If looking for info on a particular topic, turn to our Topics Index (which also allows search of the entire site) or to our Video Index.