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.

I know quitting has its ups and downs. Tomorrow might be harder. But today, despite my body's protests, I felt at ease.

It's easier not to smoke when you're asleep. I'll try not to wake up this month.

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.

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.

Beijing will ban smoking in restaurants, offices and on public transport from today, part of unprecedented curbs welcomed by anti-tobacco advocates.

The Government has been urged to consider restricting sales of nicotine electronic cigarettes to pharmacies.

A study published in the leading journal Addiction might just change everything for electronic cigarettes.

Sales of legal tobacco shrank by 23 per cent from 2009 to 2013, say researchers from Action on Smoking and Health.

I have never smoked, but friends introduced me to e-cigarettes, and now I am addicted.

Smoking among New Zealand 14 and 15-year-olds, has dipped below 3 per cent for the first time.

Vapour from e-cigarettes has a fraction of the toxins of traditional cigarettes, and much less nicotine, a new study has found.

New study appears to shed more light on the harmful effects of smoking while pregnant using 4D ultrasound scans to detect the tiny movements made by foetus in the womb.

Plain packaging for cigarettes made smokers more likely to quit in the year after it was introduced, the most comprehensive research on the legislation to date shows.

The Government is being lobbied to bring the tobacco plain-packaging bill back to Parliament for a final vote.

Smokers tend to have a thinner outer brain layer than non-smokers, new research suggests.

Quitline is running an ad depicting little children pretending to "smoke" their crayons, writes Shelley Bridgeman. Aimed at adults, yes. But what of the longer term effects?