How to quit smoking, according to scientists

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A lot of people struggle to quit smoking, but science can help.

It's not easy to quit smoking.

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Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death. But by some estimates, it could take as many as 30 tries to quit.

In July, the FDA came out with plans to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, with the aim of not making them addictive. The news sent tobacco stocks falling. Researchers have speculated that cutting nicotine levels could make it easier for smokers to quit, and keep new smokers from getting addicted.

"Rendering cigarettes minimally addictive or nonaddictive, within a landscape including other, noncombustible products such as e-cigarettes, represents a promising foundation for a comprehensive approach to tobacco harm reduction," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the meantime, however, there are some science-backed approaches that can help you quit. Business Insider spoke to Dr. Michael Fiore, director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention to get some tips on how to quit.

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