As soon as you quit smoking, your nicotine levels will eventually drop to zero and all physical withdrawal symptoms will automatically cease.
The cravings for an occasional smoke may continue, but this is due to being entrenched in an old habit not because of any physical dependence you may think you have.
Reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day or using nicotine replacement therapies instantly throws you into a chronic state of nicotine withdrawal and as soon as you fail to reach the minimum amount of nicotine required, then your body starts demanding it and as long as there is any nicotine in your bloodstream, your body will absolutely demand its old requirement.
That's why it's much harder smoking just a couple of cigarettes a day or wearing nicotine patches which are gradually reducing the amount of nicotine being delivered to your body.
It results in you not achieving the minimum required level of nicotine, creating a chronic state of peak nicotine withdrawal.
This constant state of feeding the nicotine addiction will continue throughout the rest of your smoking life unless you take one of two steps to rectify it.
The first option is you can quit smoking completely and no longer deliver nicotine to the body.
That way the nicotine will be metabolized and totally excreted from your body and the withdrawal symptoms will stop forever.
Or, alternatively you can keep smoking and build up to the old level of consumption and achieve absolutely nothing.
Once you decide and commit to stop smoking, your withdrawals will end within two weeks and then the rest of the process just involves changing the way you think and making sure you stay away from cigarettes and the temptation that they provide.