How is it useless? If I acknowledge that placebo gimmickery didn't stop me smoking, but just powering on through withdrawal and not giving in to the easy instant gratification, how is that bad advice? It isn't like alcohol where it might actually cause you brain damage to suddenly stop.
People generally don't go to living facilities for cigarettes, nor sell themselves or everything they own or end up on the street jacking off strangers because of cigarettes though.
I don't disagree with you, but the context was telling people to "just quit smoking," which is pretty silly advice because of how addictive it is. Those same people probably wouldn't seriously say, "just quit heroin."
