Texas Tech Head Says Quitting Smoking Is Big Psychological Battle

New Year's resolutions usually make room for smokers to vow to quit smoking. At any one time during the year, 66% of all smokers consider quitting according to info in a news report on the chair of the Texas Tech Department of Psychology, Dr. Lee Cohen, and only 7% succeed the first time. Cohen says psychologically it's hard to quit smoking because, "Quitting any addictive drug is complicated. With smoking it's even more so because it's a legal drug." He adds that it's normal to quit several times, which I did in my life until I finally kicked the habit, but with each attempt you learn something for the next time. Cohen advises that if you want to quit, medication is not enough, and encourages participation in a group of people. "It's very interesting how someone who tries and fails numerous times can be very successful when they're talking to people who understand."