It's practically unheard of these days for people to not know the health risks associated with smoking tobacco, from heart disease and cancer to infertility and teeth problems. Despite this, there are still a huge amount of people smoking today. Why is this?

For most smokers, it's simply the prospect of quitting. Fighting the withdrawals and cravings is a daunting thought, and most people will find it difficult to face these kind of effects. So what methods are there to try and ditch tobacco?

Cold Turkey

The most terrifying choice of all, going cold turkey means to just stop smoking with no aid, or weaning process. While some people find this empowering as they tot up the days they've gone without a cigarette, others find the symptoms of withdrawals unbearable, and they can be hard to cope with. Quitting smoking by its very nature requires willpower, but this is the only method driven by will power alone and for that reason, it isn't always the best choice.

Nicotine Patches

You've probably seen people out and about with what looks like a plaster slapped on their arm. Nicotine patches are worn on the skin, and deliver nicotine over a period of time, usually 16 hours. This means the user shouldn't have to change their patch during the day. This method of quitting only really addresses the physical dependency on nicotine and doesn't take into account that many smokers have behavioural addiction as well.

Nicotine Gum

Like patches, nicotine gum deals with the physical addiction to nicotine, through chewing gum. Most sticks are estimated to last around 30 minutes until cravings go away. A larger amount of willpower is of course required with gum, since some people find it difficult to adapt to not having something to hold.

Electronic Cigarettes

Controversial in some areas, electronic cigarettes are an alternative nicotine delivery system. A device (that often looks like a cigarette) is comprised of a battery, atomiser and some kind of mouthpiece. When operated, the battery heats the liquid in the atomiser and this gives you the nicotine hit. The liquid also causes water vapour, which is exhaled much like smoke. The range of flavours and types of electronic cigarette available make this a popular choice, and the fact you can decrease the amount of nicotine in the liquid means you can wean yourself off nicotine while still having the behavioural aspect of smoking addressed.

Nasal Spray

Another form of nicotine replacement, nasal sprays instantly deliver nicotine to your system and cause the 'rush' that many people associate with smoking. While it is widely deemed to be effective, the main hurdle is that most people don't like shoving things up their nose – particularly when it seems to be so much easier to just light a cigarette.

Like most things, choice of nicotine replacement is subjective. What works for some people may not work for others.