These days there are so many different methods used to quit smoking but researchers say the oldest method, cold turkey, is still the most successful.

For smokers the thought of quitting cigarettes is frightening, daunting and extremely stressful.

At this time of year, thousands of people are facing the battle to give up cigarettes as part of their New Year's resolution.

There are dozens of methods to help people break their nicotine addiction - from patches, to hypnotherapy, to prescription medications.

Despite all the new and often expensive methods, researchers from the University of Sydney say that cold turkey is still the most successful method of quitting for Australians.

Professor Simon Chapman from the school of public health at the University of Sydney is the Co-researcher on a study that will investigate why people choose different methods of quitting.

Professor Chapman explains, "You'll find that the method which most people have used by far to quit, is cold turkey or what we call 'unassisted cessation'.

"That surprises many people because you hear so much more about the other methods and of course the reason for that is that people who are promoting those methods, particularly commercial companies, drug companies, have a lot of money to megaphone the message that if you're trying to quit smoking then using a product is the way to go."

If all these new, heavily researched and heavily promoted methods of quitting are on the market, why does cold turkey still come out on top?

Professor Chapman says, "It's certainly the method that's been around for the longest.

"Nicotine replacement therapy, which is the approach to quitting smoking that many people have heard about has only been around for about 20 years and of course before that, around the world hundreds of millions of people quit smoking before nicotine therapy was even available.

"So you actually don't need these products to quit smoking. For some people they are helpful but the message, which I think has been lost in a lot of this commercially driven discussion about how to quit, is that the method that most people use and that most people use successfully is unassisted cessation."

You can listen to the rest of the interview with Professor Simon Chapman, talking to ABC South West's Meghan Woods, above.

If you are trying to quit smoking and need support, call the Cancer Council helpline on 13 11 20 or visit their website.

You can also receive support by calling Quitline on 13 78 48 or visiting their website.