Hypnosis, electric shocks, isolation, even pure cold turkey: there’s no shortage of ways people have tried to stop smoking over the years. Technology, though, has finally advanced enough to give smokers a variety of their tools to kick the habit.

Some are unusual, others only experimental at the moment. But perhaps these new methods will eventually become more widely accepted tools for giving up smoking.

The tweeting cigarette

Developed and trialled by the folks at R/GA creative agency, this custom e-cigarette uses arduino technology to automatically send updates about a person’s quitting efforts. As long as the quitter sticks with the cleaner electronic alternative, a dedicated account will inform them how many cigarettes they’ve avoided, how much money they’ve saved and how many extra days they’ve theoretically added to their life.

The Tweeting Ciggy hasn’t had anything to say since July, so let’s hope Will is still off the smokes...

Friday night's alright! Will is celebrating the big 5-0, that's 50 cigs he didn't smoke. Or in real terms, 33 bucks and 9 hours of life.

— Tweeting Ciggy (@TweetingCiggy) July 27, 2013

Online communities and forums

Countless websites devoted to smoking cessation are a mere Google away. Although there’s no shortage of helpful articles and blogged experiences out there, perhaps the most beneficial sites are the interactive ones. It might seem odd keeping strangers updated of your progress, but they are or have been in the same situation as you, and can provide personalised advice and encouragement. Even Ireland’s own boards.ie offers an active, helpful ‘giving up smoking’ community. Just make sure you stick around after your struggle and pay the assistance forward.

Clean Life

Omer Haciomeroglu and Philips have designed this unusual gadget to continually encourage, through emotional reinforcement, people in the middle of quitting. The Clean Life kits consists of a breath analyser and ‘Decision Reminder’ (a worn accessory that analyses when wearers are craving nicotine, and encourages them to push through) to monitor progress and flag potential lapses in commitment to the cause.

Perhaps its most unique feature is its in-built support for an online community and support suite that aims to build a network of ‘clean lifers’ to support each other through advice and encouragement.

Facebook campaigns

Nothing says ‘quit smoking’ like 1,000,000 people telling you to quit smoking. This is the mantra of the many people who have set up Facebook campaigns promising to quit if they get enough ‘likes’ or support. Of course, given that there’s a whole load of people doing the same thing, and most will significantly overestimate the amount of online fans they can accrue, this method comes with a very, very high risk that it might discourage quitting instead. Also, bear in mind it can be sort of (by which we mean very) annoying for everyone else.

Apps, apps, apps

The quality and effectiveness of the anti-smoking apps varies - some might just offer tips, while others will actively monitor progress. Still, smartphones offer no shortage of smoking cessation apps. As of writing, a quick search on the iOS App Store alone throws up 294 results. Make sure to check the reviews, of course: a bad app could well be worse than useless.