For a smoker trying to quit, the advice often comes down to two words: just stop. Put out the cigarette. Fight the cravings. Get through the withdrawal. Move on.
For some smokers, that approach works. But for many others, quitting is far more complicated. Research in Pakistan has found that only around one in four smokers attempt to quit, with successful cessation historically remaining very low. Studies have also identified nicotine dependence, stress, anxiety and social pressures among the factors that can contribute to failed quit attempts.
Yet when another attempt fails, the smoker is often left with the same conclusion: perhaps the problem is a lack of willpower. That assumption deserves a closer look.
A person who has smoked for years is not simply breaking a casual habit. Nicotine dependence can make cessation difficult, and repeated attempts are not necessarily evidence of unwillingness to quit. In fact, recent research from Pakistan has highlighted just how common multiple quit attempts can be. A 2026 study of smokers in Hyderabad found that among those who had attempted to quit, more than 40% had made three or more attempts. Willpower alone was also the most commonly reported cessation method.
The question, therefore, is not whether smokers should quit. They should. The more difficult question is what should happen when the conventional approach repeatedly fails.
This is where the conversation around smoking cessation needs to become more nuanced. Instead of treating “cold turkey” as the universal measure of determination, smokers can be encouraged to understand nicotine dependence, examine credible scientific evidence and learn about the different approaches available to adults who want to move away from combustible cigarettes.
That distinction matters because the greatest harm from conventional cigarettes comes from combustion and the complex mixture of toxic substances produced when tobacco is burned. It also explains why the conversation around Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) has increasingly entered discussions about smoking cessation. THR does not mean that nicotine products are risk-free, nor should alternatives be presented without scrutiny. It means examining the evidence around products and approaches that may expose smokers to fewer harmful substances than continuing to smoke combustible cigarettes.
For Pakistani smokers, access to that information is particularly important. A previous study found that 68.2% of surveyed smokers were interested in quitting, while 52.9% identified nicotine addiction as the main obstacle to doing so. At the same time, 71.3% said they were unaware of available tobacco harm reduction products.
That creates an information gap at precisely the point where smokers need it most.
“Smokers should not be made to feel that repeated failure means they lack the willpower to quit,” said Shahida Khan, CEO of VCPHR. “They need access to credible information so they can understand nicotine dependence, examine the evidence around different approaches and make informed decisions. The goal should always be to move away from combustible cigarettes, and people deserve to know what options may help them get there.”
The idea is not to replace one instruction with another. It is to give smokers the ability to make a more informed decision.
Someone who has tried to quit once may try again. Someone who has failed five times may try a sixth. But if every attempt is based on the same approach that has already failed, perhaps the conversation should include more than simply telling the smoker to try harder.
Research, evidence and informed choice can give smokers another starting point.
Because quitting smoking should ultimately be measured not by how convincingly someone is told to quit, but by whether they are given the knowledge, support and realistic options needed to actually leave combustible cigarettes behind.