January 27th 2006
British Medical Journal

Some smokers may need a "quit plan" to stop smoking, but researchers say that those who spontaneously decide to quit may have more success.

"Contrary to what experts had previously believed, the idea that you have to plan your quit attempts ahead of time isn't necessarily true," said researcher Robert West of University College London, who along with colleague Taj Sohal queried 1,900 smokers and former smokers about their attempts to quit.

West and Sohal found that about half of all quit attempts were spontaneous, and that those who chose to quit on the spot were 50-60 percent more likely to succeed than those who planned their attempt in advance.

The researchers stressed that the findings should not be used to discourage quit plans, but rather reinforce the importance of the smoker being in the right frame of mind and motivated when they decide to quit.

West, R. and Sohal, T. (2006) "Catastrophic" pathways to smoking cessation: findings from national survey. British Medical Journal, doi:10.1136/bmj.38723.573866.AE

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