Smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick, and those who plan to go cold turkey may need a lot of support from family and friends. Joining a social networking support group may also help as proven by a recent study on Science Daily.

Researcher Joe Phua from the University of Georgia looked into online support groups for smokers and found that the stronger the connections they build, the easier it is for them to abstain longer and eventually quit

"This study helps further the notion that social networking sites and other forms of social media can help people to improve their health conditions. These can be used as a standalone way to improve chronic health conditions, or as part of a holistic treatment plan that includes both professional offline help and online social media sites," Phua concludes.

(Photo by Qfamily via Flickr Creative Commons)