Smoking - tips on how to quit
Cigarettes - tips on how to quit; Smoking cessation - tips on how to quit; Smokeless tobacco - tips on how to quit; Tobacco cessation - tips; Nicotine cessation - tips
There are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be successful, you must really want to quit. The tips below can help you get started.
The many methods of quitting smoking include counseling and support groups, nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medications, and incremental reduction.
The addictive effects of the nicotine found in tobacco have been well documented. Nicotine is believed to have an addictive potential comparable to alcohol, cocaine, and morphine. Tobacco and its various components increase the risk of cancer (especially in the lung, mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, and cervix), heart attacks and strokes, and chronic lung disease.
Information
Most people who have quit smoking were unsuccessful at least once in the past. Try not to view past attempts to quit as failures. See them as learning experiences.
It is hard to stop smoking or using smokeless tobacco, but anyone can do it.
Know what symptoms to expect when you stop smoking. These are called withdrawal symptoms. Common symptoms include:
- An intense craving for nicotine
- Anxiety, tension, restlessness, frustration, or impatience
- Difficulty concentrating
- Drowsiness or trouble sleeping
- Headaches
- Increased appetite and weight gain
- Irritability or depression
How bad your symptoms are depends on how long you smoked. The number of cigarettes you smoked each day also plays a role.
FEEL READY TO QUIT?
First, set a quit date. That is the day you will quit completely. Before your quit date, you may begin reducing your cigarette use. Remember, there is no safe level of cigarette smoking.
List the reasons why you want to quit. Include both short- and long-term benefits.
Identify the times you are most likely to smoke. For example, do you tend to smoke when feeling stressed or down? When out at night with friends? While drinking coffee or alcohol? When bored? While driving? Right after a meal or sex? During a work break? While watching TV or playing cards? When you are with other smokers?
Let your friends, family, and co-workers know of your plan to stop smoking. Tell them your quit date. It can be helpful if they know what you are going through, especially when you are grumpy.
Get rid of all your cigarettes just before the quit date. Clean anything that smells of smoke, such as clothes and furniture.
MAKE A PLAN
Plan what you will do instead of smoking at those times when you are most likely to smoke.
Be as specific as possible. For example, if in the past you smoked when drinking a cup of coffee, drink tea instead. Tea may not trigger the desire for a cigarette. Or, when you feel stressed, take a walk instead of smoking a cigarette.
Get rid of cigarettes in the car. Put pretzels or other low calorie healthy snack there instead.
Find activities that focus your hands and mind, but make sure they are not taxing or fattening. Computer games, solitaire, knitting, sewing, and crossword puzzles may help.
If you normally smoke after eating, find other ways to end a meal. Eat a piece of fruit. Get up and make a phone call. Take a walk (a good distraction that also burns calories).
CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE
Make other changes in your lifestyle. Change your daily schedule and habits. Eat at different times, or eat several small meals instead of three large ones. Sit in a different chair or even a different room.
Satisfy your oral habits in other ways. Eat celery or another low-calorie snack. Chew sugarless gum. Suck on a cinnamon stick. Pretend-smoke with a straw.
Get more exercise. Take walks or ride a bike. Exercise helps relieve the urge to smoke.
SET SOME GOALS
Set short-term quitting goals and reward yourself when you meet them. Every day, put the money you normally spend on cigarettes in a jar. Later, spend that money on something you like.
Try not to think about all the days ahead you will need to avoid smoking. Take it one day at a time.
Just one puff or one cigarette will make your desire for cigarettes even stronger. However, it is normal to make mistakes. So even if you have one cigarette, you do not need to take the next one.
OTHER TIPS
Enroll in a stop smoking support program. Hospitals, health departments, community centers, and work sites often offer programs. Learn about self-hypnosis or other techniques.
Ask your health care provider about medicines that can help you quit nicotine and tobacco and keep you from starting again. These include nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and sprays. Prescription medicines that help reduce nicotine cravings and other withdrawal symptoms include varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin).
The American Cancer Society's website,
The website
Above all, do not get discouraged if you are not able to quit smoking the first time. Nicotine addiction is a hard habit to break. Try something different next time. Develop new strategies, and try again. For many people, it takes several attempts to finally kick the habit.
You probably know by now that smoking damages your lungs, raising your risk for bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer. And, you're probably well aware that lighting up also puts you at risk for many different types of cancers, as well as eye disease like cataracts and premature wrinkles, you know why you shouldn't smoke, it's just the quitting part you can't seem to get past. Let's talk about some helpful tips to help you quit smoking, for good this time. It's a familiar story, one that plays out over and over again among smokers. You vow to quit, and you have every intention of doing it, and then the cravings hit. And you can't think about anything but having a cigarette. You get irritable, and you start putting on weight. You think, Just one cigarette wouldn't hurt, would it? And then, before you know it, you're smoking again. Most smokers have tried to quit, and failed, several times. Even if you've failed before, you can still succeed at quitting. Many people have. You just need to find the technique that works for you. So, here are a few tips that can help. First, set a quit date. Write it down on your calendar and tell a few friends, so you'll be too embarrassed to back out. Before your quit date, throw out every cigarette in your house, car, and office. Also toss every ashtray, lighter, and anything else you need to smoke. Wash your clothes and clean your furniture so you won't have that smoky smell hanging around your house. Next, call your doctor. Ask about smoking cessation programs in your area. Also learn about tools that can help you quit, like medicines that reduce the urge to smoke, and nicotine replacement gums, lozenges, patches, and sprays. And then, plan what you'll do instead of smoking. If you smoke with your morning cup of coffee, drink tea or go for a walk instead. If you need a cigarette to keep your mouth busy, try chewing sugarless gum or nibble on a carrot stick. Stick to places where smoking isn't allowed, like smoke-free restaurants. And finally, reward yourself for not smoking. Put all that money that you would have spent on cigarettes into a jar. And once you've collected enough money, use it to take a trip or buy something you've wanted for a long time. Don't get discouraged. Quitting smoking isn't easy. If it were, everyone would have done it by now. Be persistent, reward yourself for the progress you've made, and keep at it until you finally conquer the urge to smoke.
References
Atkinson DL, Minnix J, Cinciripini PM, Karam-Hage M. Nicotine. In: Johnson BA, ed. Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 23.
Brunetta PG, Kroon L. Smoking cessation. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 66.
George TP. Nicotine and tobacco. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 29.
US Preventive Services Task Force; Krist AH, Davidson KW, Mangione CM, et al. Interventions for tobacco smoking cessation in adults, including pregnant persons: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325(3):265-279. PMID: 33464343
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 7/25/2022
Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
