Where the nicotine patch fails, perhaps a simple text message could do it. Any self-respecting smoker who have tried to quit before will definitely be able to understand the feeling of despair and tension they feel as they battle their inner demons, but hopefully the advancement of technology will be able to help them kick the habit without causing too much harm or stress.

While having a support group through the Internet and in real life would help some, apparently that isn’t good enough for anyone who wants out of this nicotine consuming habit. A new Web-based technology using SMS has been developed to help remind smokers that lighting up just isn’t worth killing the cells in your lungs. According to Jodi Kopke, media director at Colorado’s State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP), “Immediacy is one of the most critical parts of the program. For someone to say they smoke at 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and then to get a message right as they are about to get up and light up, that is so powerful.”

This message system on cellphones are part of an Internet quit program and targets high school students in Colorado initially, with hope that this fledgling program will soon be able to target other age groups as well as geographical areas. QuitNet.com has also expressed their intention to include this message system by considering a slew of tailored messages that target users of its site. This is an especially powerful move – imagine getting a text message that tells you just how much money you’ve saved to buy that PS3 that you’ve always been hankering after simply by quitting smoking for half a year. Hopefully this method of positive reinforcement will help more folks quit and help prevent them from relapsing within the danger period. Of course, it would be better if this habit wasn’t picked up in the first place, but that’s another can of worms.

Source: Yahoo! News