People who smoke and say, "I can quit anytime" may be in for a surprise when they decide to actually quit. Cigarette smoking is an addiction and, to debunk a common myth, quitting takes much more than just willpower.
You're not weak if you have a hard time quitting smoking: nicotine is especially successful at affecting the human brain. It can cause cravings and a compulsion to smoke, making recovering from a smoking addiction quite difficult and nicotine withdrawal potentially very unpleasant.
Since quitting smoking is no easy feat, those who wish to quit should arm themselves with lots of information and knowledge. First, a smoker should reflect on their feelings about their smoking addiction, weighing its costs and its benefits. They should understand that quitting happens in stages. And while smoking cessation medications are not magical formulas for instant success, there are options for helping a person through the tougher phases of addiction recovery.