You are desperately trying to break your addiction to cigarette, without success ? Have you already stopped 10 times, 20 times … before diving again? Don’t panic, that’s normal: according to a new study by researchers at the University of Toronto (in Canada), it would take around 30 trials to achieve stop smoking definitively. In short, you still have (a little) margin …
To come to this guilt-free conclusion, the scientists worked for 10 years with 1,277 volunteers, Canadian adults addicted to cigarettes. Every 6 months, they had to tell about their attempts to quit smoking, so that they are counted and listed. And the result is clear: 30 tries (on average) are necessary.
“The most important thing is to get there”
“Be careful, this does not mean that 30 is a magic number!”, Nuances Dr. Michael Chaiton, main author of this work, published in the scientific journal BMJ Open. “Usually, statistics say that it takes between 5 and 7 attempts to successfully quit smoking. This figure seemed too low to reality, hence our work. The objective was to show that It’s not that easy. On the other hand, the number 30 is an average: some people will get it right the first time, others will try their whole life. “
Conclusion of the researchers? “The most important thing is not the number of attempts: it is to get there. And if you manage to quit smoking young, even better: your body will thank you.” As a reminder, France has around 16 million regular smokers. Between 18 and 34 years old, one in two French people is addicted to cigarettes. Smoking affects 46% of women aged 20 to 25, and 55% of men aged 26 to 34 *.
To quit smoking, there are many gentle solutions: acupuncture, hypnosis, sophrology, mindfulness meditation ,... Do not hesitate to ask for help from a health professional!
* Source: http://www.tabac-info-service.fr
