How to Quit Smoking

How to Quit Smoking

Research has shown that these five steps will help you to quit for good:

• Pick a date to stop smoking. Before that day, get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters everywhere you smoke. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home. Write down why you want to quit and keep this list as a reminder.
• Get support from your family, friends, and coworkers. Studies have shown you will be more likely to quit if you have help. Let the people important to you know the date you will be quitting and ask them for their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes out. Get more support ideas.
• Find substitutes for smoking and vary your routine. When you get the urge to smoke, do something to take your mind off smoking. Talk to a friend, go for a walk, or go to the movies. Reduce stress with exercise, meditation, hot baths, or reading. Try sugar-free gum or candy to help handle your cravings. Drink lots of water and juices. You might want to try changing your daily routine as well. Try drinking tea instead of coffee, eating your breakfast in a different place, or taking a different route to work.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse about medicines to help you quit. Some people have withdrawal symptoms when they quit smoking. These symptoms can include depression, trouble sleeping, feeling irritable or restless, and trouble thinking clearly. There are medicines to help relieve these symptoms. Most medicines help you quit smoking by giving you small, steady doses of nicotine, the drug in cigarettes that causes addiction. Talk to your doctor or nurse to see if one of these medicines may be right for you:
  • nicotine patch: worn on the skin and supplies a steady amount of nicotine to the body through the skin
  • nicotine gum or lozenge: releases nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining in your mouth
  • nicotine nasal spray: inhaled through your nose and passes into your bloodstream
  • nicotine inhaler: inhaled through the mouth and absorbed in the mouth and throat
  • bupropion: an antidepressant medicine that reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke
  • varenicline (Chantix™): a medicine that reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the pleasurable effects of smoking
• Be prepared for relapse. Most people relapse, or start smoking again, within the first three months after quitting. Don't get discouraged if you relapse. Remember, many people try to quit several times before quitting for good. Think of what helped and didn't help the last time you tried to quit. Figuring these out before you try to quit again will increase your chances for success. Certain situations can increase your chances of smoking. These include drinking alcohol, being around other smokers, gaining weight, stress, or becoming depressed. Talk to your doctor or nurse for ways to cope with these situations.