Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to subject oneself or another addict (usu. a heroin user) to cold turkey n. (1)

1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 244: You gonna cold-turkey it!
1961		H. Ellison ‘Gentleman Junkie’ in Gentleman Junkie 22: He had started to ‘cold turkey’ a cure.
1974		Harper’s Bazaar Apr. 124B: If you are not cold-turkeying, try to figure out which cigarettes are most important to you.
1993		R. Shell Iced 200: I was in a foul mood from having to cold turkey my cocaine addiction.
2001		N. Griffiths Sheepshagger 138: Spew down-a front of yewer fuckin shirt screamin at-a passers-by cos ey wouldn’t lend yew any fuckin money. Cold turkeyin like.

2. in fig. use, to approach without restrain.

1957

‘Weldon Hill’ Onionhead (1958) 297: He’d intended to cold tukey the skipper about the mess situation.