Why quitting with other people helps

What the research shows

The strongest evidence is for structured groups. A 2017 Cochrane review of 66 randomised trials found that group behaviour therapy increased quit rates compared with self-help materials alone (risk ratio 1.88, moderate certainty evidence). Those groups were led by counsellors, so the result does not automatically apply to every online community.

Online communities are studied less, but the signals are encouraging. In a 2017 study of the BecomeAnEX online community, 20.7 percent of active community members were abstinent compared with 7.7 percent of people who did not use the community. That is a correlation, not proof of cause: people who join may already be more motivated.

Simply asking a partner or friend to support you has not been shown to improve long term quit rates on its own, according to a separate Cochrane review. What seems to matter is regular contact with people who understand what you are going through.

How to use a community well

• Talk to people at the same stage as you: the first week feels very different from the second month.
• Write when a craving starts, not after you have smoked.
• Answer someone else: helping another person through a craving strengthens your own resolve.
• Share the small wins. Day three is worth celebrating.

The Freewill community

Freewill has a live community organised by stage: Getting ready, First week, Second week, Week 3, Week 4, Month 2 and Quitters for people past the first weeks. There is a Craving room, a Starting again room for after a slip, a General room, and rooms for stress, questions, books, films and music. Messages can be translated with one tap, and community events give everyone a shared goal, such as 100,000 cigarettes not smoked together.