Weening off works if you're dedicated.
I disagree here. I smoked for 25 years. Six months ago I quit cold turkey. Trust me, I tried everything over the years. Gum, patches, lozenges, cutting back, etc, etc. The fact is, if you're addicted to nicotine, you're addicted for life. That's how addiction works. I eventually realized there was no point trying to stop the addiction by feeding it.
It's a constant battle. Just one cigarette will no doubt trigger the receptors and have me on a pack a day. The craving stoppped after a few weeks but the memories of smoking are still strong.