I smoked 72 Marlboros on New years eve 2000, and zero since, not counting the occasional cigar. Probably a better idea to step it down slowly. Your mileage may vary on any of this, obviously, but this is my experience.

I applied every trick I could come up with, except for nicotine in any form.

First of all, are you quitting smoking, or are you trying to quit? If you're saying you're trying to quit, you've already failed, and you're admitting it. You're not trying to, you're just making an attempt to feel good about yourself. Do or do not. There is no try.

Set a date in advance. Not tomorrow. Probably not next week. Give yourself a couple of weeks, for several reasons, but set a firm date. Then advertise it. Tell everyone. I'm quitting smoking on 2/1, or whatever. Have people hold you to it. If your ego is anything like mine, having to admit to a large number of people that you have FAILED is a really good reason to not fail. Then pick on person, or several, that really mean something to you. Your mom, your kid, your wife, a bunch or degenerates on a message board, whatever. You will swear to this person, with one hand on the bible or your wallet or the Sears catalog or whatever you believe in, that you will not cheat. If you smoke a cigarette again, you will tell them that you did. This was a big deal with me, as I tried quitting before, and failed because I'd sneak one. And another one, or a half pack, or two packs, and there you go.

When you quit smoking, you're quitting nicotine. Don't switch to chew or snus or inhalers or gum or patches or whatever. You're trying to get rid of an addiction, not maintain it while taking a break from smoking.

The time between now and your quitting date, make smoking uncomfortable. One thing that makes it hard to quit is that your smoke breaks are often the best part of the day. You're sitting down for a minute with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. It's your break from stress and everyday thing and a moment to yourself. Don't do that. The season can help here. When you smoke, you will go outside, and if possible be cold and uncomfortable. If possible, find something else you can do for a break from the day. For me it was beef jerky.

While you're quitting, put other goals aside. If you try to start exercising, eat healthier, quit smoking, spend less time online, quit soda and cut carbs all at once, you're probably going to fail all of them. Quitting smoking is HARD. Don't try to do a bunch of other difficult things at the same time. I ate like there was no tomorrow, especially beef jerky for some reason. And dry roasted peanuts. The cravings my wife had when she was pregnant were nothing compared to what I had when I quit smoking. Indulge, except for anything that you relate to smoking. I had to quit coffee and alcohol for six months, as I couldn't drink either one without having a cigarette.

A week or so before you quit, get a large glass jar with a tight-sealing lid. Gallon-size pickle jar worked for me. Put a couple of inches of water in, and put your butts in there. This should smell like death pretty soon. After the magic date, any time you feel like you're REALLY needing a cigarette, open the jar, and take three real deep breaths. It gives you a direct connection between cigarettes and disgusting nastiness.

Make sure  you don't have any cigarettes stashed somewhere. Really. There is no "just in case" if you're quitting. You don't NEED them, you just think you do.

Get a big bowl and put it somewhere where you'll see if several times every day. Every day, you put the amount of money you've saved by not smoking in the bowl, in cash. After X days, buy something stupid and fun. If you fail, you have to donate the money NAMBLA. You can also send the money to me, whether you fail or succeed, I'd be okay with that.

Write a contract, or several. Preferably with people you don't like. If you smoke again, you owe each one of them $500 each. Make it legally binding, and with people who will call you on it.

Something to remember: That *NEED* to smoke lasts less than five minutes, and then it fades. You can handle that. If you feel that you can't, do 20 pushups, and try again.

Avoid your smoking situations. If you always have a cigarette after a meal, don't sit around after eating. Get up and go do something else. If you smoke with every cup of coffee, switch to tea or hot chocolate for a while. If you light one up as soon as you wake up in the morning, go straight from bed to the shower instead. Break the habits. The physical addiction is one thing to break, the habits are another. You need to break both.

A couple of things to remember: Smokers smell like death. I mean REALLY bad. People have talked about the fact that you smell nasty. It's not the impression you want to leave with people, but as long as you smoke, you do. Believing you can remove your smoke smell by chewing gum is like believing you can clean up Chernobyl with Goo-Gone.
At this point, I have saved about $18,000 by not smoking. That's post tax, cash I have in hand that I otherwise would not have had. I would call it worthwhile, and that's outside of health risks and all the other jazz. It would be interesting to know how much I have saved just on not missing work due to improved immune defense.

Or, you know. You could continue to let an inanimate object control you. Cause that's what they're doing.

Quitting SUCKS, but it's very much worthwhile.

/Magnus

I quit Jan 1 2011. Used snus for a few months to help with nic withdrawls.