Put simply, text messages help people stop smoking. The studies found that real-time texting dramatically increases the accuracy of people’s reporting, and can serve as an effective tool for helping them quit altogether. A text a day keeps the cravings away. Two new studies show that text-messaging can “measure and intervene in urges people have during smoking cessation programs.”. Scientists at the University of Oregon and UCLA used fMRI on 27 smokers to map the areas of the brain where they control their impulses. You can set up a similar program without any development.