There have been many methods of quitting smoking over the years; some examples include the nicotine patch, taking prescription medication, and chewing nicotine gum. Yet, according to this NY Times article the best method might be programs that involve group involvement, since quitting has a ripple effect and causes the entire group to follow.
The study was done by Dr. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler over a span of 32 years, and throughout those years they followed the patterns of both smokers and non-smokers. The study concluded that people genereally begin and stop smoking in groups.
Duncan Watts, principal research scientist at Yahoo! Research in
“We tend to think of individuals as atomized units, and we think of policies as good or bad for individuals. This reminds us that we are all connected to each other, and when we do something to one person, there are spillover effects.”
Influence seems to be the driving key in the success of smoking cessations. Smokers aren’t stopping one by one; instead they are stopping in groups.
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