Today, I look like a cartoonish stoner in a suit.

When you deprive your body of a substance it's addicted to, some pretty weird sh** starts to happen.

Maybe it was complacency, or naive bravado, or simple, glorious stupidity. I thought I had this beat.

Somehow I went 12 hours without putting on a patch. And I didn't even notice.

I could just have one cigarette. Just one cigarette couldn't hurt, right?

Here's my thoughts on quitting when you're feeling terrible - it sucks, writes Matthew Backhouse.

Shelley Bridgeman shares what eventually led her to quit smoking. Nicotine patches, e-cigarettes and going cold-turkey had nothing to do with it.

The act of lighting up - once the signifier of youthful rebellion and effortless chic - has became seriously uncool.

I haven't felt alone for a moment since I quit smoking. And it's in no small part thanks to you.

The only thing preventing me from having a complete, catastrophic meltdown is an overblown sticking plaster.

It finally happened. I didn't just snap. I totally lost it.

There I was, tossing up whether to lick the cigarette butts in the ashtray, hoping for even a glimmer of that nicotine buzz.

Journalist Matthew Backhouse chronicles his efforts to quit smoking for Stoptober in a daily diary.

Smokers who live for a long time may have specific genes promoting a lengthy lifespan, a US study has found.

While many users perceive e-cigs as safer than traditional cigarettes, some of the flavorings that make them so enticing may have their own toxic consequences.

Thousands of Kiwis will be kicking smoking to the curb for Stoptober this year.

Yearly increases of 20 per cent in tobacco excise tax will be needed to achieve the Government's target of ultra-low smoking prevalence by 2025.

Young occasional smokers are almost four times more likely to become daily smokers by their late 30s than their non-smoking peers.

A study released this week suggests women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to rear children who are involved in delinquency.

But expert warns that the benefits won't be seen for several decades.

New research shows that smoking can triple the chances of developing psychosis.

The findings provide another reason for people, especially teenagers prone to acne, to stay clear of tobacco, say experts.

A study has found smoking can almost double the risk of prostate cancer returning after surgery, with ex-smokers also at greater risk of recurring cancer.