Tapering is the process that involves cutting down your smoking slowly over time, usually a period of weeks or months. You might be smoking a pack a day prior to your quit. Tapering involves first tracking when, where, and why you smoke each cigarette. Knowing your triggers allows you to target certain times of day or circumstances to help eliminate one cigarette at a time. Many people, especially long-term smokers, find tapering to be most effective because of the habit change that accompanies their quit process. Just as with quick diets that rebound shortly after weight loss, quick quits can be harder to sustain without laying a new foundation of positive lifestyle habits.