Let's assume you are fully motivated and really want to learn how to quit smoking for good. How do you stop? It is easy. You become a non-smoker, as if you have never smoked. You throw away all your cigarettes, and decide never to buy or accept another one. Announce the fact to all your friends, who will usually support you, and that's that. You've just taken the first step on your "how to quit smoking" plan. Easy wasn't it?

Most people find that they don't have true withdrawal symptoms, provided they are happy to stop. Some people become agitated, irritable, nervous and can't sleep at night. But people who have had to stop for medical reasons - say, because they have been admitted to coronary care - hardly ever have withdrawal symptoms.

That strongly suggests that the withdrawal problems are psychological, rather than physical. If you can last a week or two without a cigarette, you will probably never light up again. The desire to smoke will disappear as the levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine and tarry chemicals in your lungs, blood, brain and other organs gradually subside.

If you must stop smoking gradually, plan ahead. Keep a diary of the cigarettes you will have, leaving out one or two each succeeding day, and stick to it. Carry nicotine chewing gum or get a patch if you must, but remember that the nicotine is still harmful, and they may not give you the "nicotine buzz" you're used to from cigarettes. Don't look on it as a long-term alternative to smoking. If you are having real difficulty giving up smoking, ask your doctor for a prescription of Zyban or something similar. You may be offered a two-month course of the drug. It helps, but is by no means infallible.

If you do use aids to stop (other methods include acupuncture and stop smoking hypnotherapy), remember they have no magical properties. They are a crutch to lean on while you make the determined effort to stop altogether. They cannot help if your will to stop is weak.

Recognize, too, that giving up smoking is not an end in itself. It is only part of your new way of life, one that includes your new way of eating and exercise, and your new attitude to your future health. And you owe it not only to yourself but also to your partner, family and friends, because it will help to give them a healthier you for, hopefully, many years to come.

Always remember that as you follow your personalized "how to quit smoking plan", you are not on your own. More than a million people have stopped smoking each year for the last 15 years. Only one in three adults now smokes (less than one in 20 doctors). By learning how to quit smoking you are joining the sensible majority.