What's The Best Way To Quit Smoking? New Study Says Go Cold Turkey

OXFORD, England (CBS) – For those who have tried to quit smoking again and again without success, a new study says the "cold turkey" method might be the way to go.

Oxford University researchers say that in a study of about 700 smokers, those who put away the cigarettes all at once were more likely to quit for good than those who gradually cut down.

Smokers in the study were split into two groups, one that set a quit day and stopped all smoking on that date, and the other that also set a quit day but tried to slowly reduce their tobacco use leading up to it.

The study found that going cold turkey was 25 percent more effective than gradually cutting down.

"The difference in quit attempts seemed to arise because people struggled to cut down," Dr. Nicola Lindson-Hawley said in a statement. "It provided them with an extra thing to do, which may have put them off quitting altogether."

More people said they preferred the idea of quitting smoking gradually, but that wasn't reflected in the results.

"This study shows that the most effective way to quit smoking is to stop all at once, rather than gradually reducing the number of cigarettes," an official at the British Heart Foundation said.

Researchers say it's still important to support those who can't imagine quitting smoking completely and want to try gradually cutting down.