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Quitting Smoking - Thinking About Quitting?

When you're craving tobacco, it's hard to focus on quitting. Preparing yourself before you quit can help. Before you quit, get ready for a life without nicotine.

One Man's Story:

Planning was key to John's success. "The [stop-smoking] class taught me how to get ready to quit."-John, 39

Think about your reasons for quitting

What would motivate you to quit smoking? Think about it. It's important to have your own reasons for quitting.

Use this self-test to help you discover what might motivate you to quit smoking(What is a PDF document?).

Staying healthy is a common reason to want to quit smoking. Or maybe you want to feel more in control of your life, instead of feeling controlled by tobacco. Teens may have other reasons to quit smoking.

Talk to your family and friends about quitting. Their support might help you decide to quit.

Quitting Smoking: Getting Support

Know the risks of smoking

What worries you about smoking? Make a list. Talk about it with your doctor. You may worry about:

Health problems. Are you out of breath when you walk up the stairs? Are asthma symptoms getting worse? Are you coughing a lot?
Long-term health risks. Are you afraid of having a heart attack or stroke? How about lung disease or cancer?
Risks to others. Do you worry about family members getting lung cancer and heart disease? Are you afraid that your children might start smoking because you do? Are you concerned that your baby may die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if you smoke? Maybe your children have frequent ear infections or asthma.

One Man's Story:

It was throat pain that helped Nate give up smoking for good. Dealing with a sore throat all the time just wasn't worth it anymore. "In the end, I made up my mind and quit."-Nate, 27

Look forward to the rewards

What do you gain by quitting? You can:

Feel better and be able to do more.
Have a younger-looking and healthier body.
Set a good example for others (especially children).
- If you smoke, your child is more likely to smoke.
- If your teen smokes, he or she may be more likely to quit smoking if you quit.
- If your child never smokes during the teen years, he or she is less likely to start smoking in the future.
Save money by getting rid of the cost of smoking. To find out how much you spend on cigarettes, see the Interactive Tool: How Much Is Smoking Costing You?
Be in control of your habits.

Prepare for roadblocks

What could make you start smoking after you stop? Triggers could be events, places, or even people. Alcohol, stress, and being around other smokers are major triggers for many people. You may always have a smoke after lunch or during happy hour on Fridays. Does your best friend smoke? You can't always avoid these challenges. But you can plan for how to deal with them.

Possible roadblock	What you need to know
Cravings and nicotine withdrawal. Symptoms include feeling grouchy or depressed and having trouble sleeping or concentrating.	Here are some things that can help: Take medicine to help control the symptoms. Using medicine can double your chances of quitting.¹ Get some exercise. Start a new activity, take a class, or read a book on a subject that interests you. Get counseling and phone support. Try to avoid smoking triggers. Quick Tips: What to Do When You Crave Nicotine Quitting Smoking: Coping With Cravings and Withdrawal
Failure in the past	If you weren't able to quit in the past, don't lose hope. Studies show that each time you try to quit, you will be stronger and will have learned more about what helps and what makes it harder. Most people try to quit many times before they can quit for good.
Weight gain	You may gain some weight when you stop smoking. Don't try to avoid this by going on a strict diet at the same time. This will make it even harder to stop smoking. You can take steps to lower your chance of gaining weight: By being more active. Exercise will also help you feel better. By using stop-smoking medicines. They can help you get through the worst of your cravings and may help you avoid putting on too much weight. Quitting Smoking: Dealing With Weight Gain
Depression or nervousness	Medicines and counseling can help treat nervousness or depression. Talk to your doctor. Depression: Should I Take an Antidepressant? Depression: Using Positive Thinking
Lack of support	Support can improve your chances of quitting. Look for people who have stopped smoking, or seek out those family and friends who support your goal to quit. Online and phone support can also help: National tobacco quitline: 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) Stop-smoking programs, such as the American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking program (www.lungusa.org) or QuitNet (www.quitnet.com) Check with your local hospital or health department for programs to quit smoking. Quitting Smoking: Getting Support
Living with or being around someone who smokes	It would be easier for you to quit if those around you didn't smoke. Discuss quitting together. If this isn't an option, talk to the person(s) about not smoking around you. When you can, avoid places where others are smoking.
Alcohol	If you enjoy smoking when you drink alcohol, you may need to give up alcohol when you quit smoking, at least for a while.
Stress	Stress can lead to smoking, but smoking doesn't really make stress go away. To control stress, learn what causes your stress and how to change the way you react. For suggestions, see the topic Stress Management.
Missing your smoking habits or not being able to avoid smoking triggers	Assess your tobacco use (What is a PDF document?) to discover your smoking triggers. For some people, morning coffee and going out with friends are common smoking triggers. Drinking coffee. Change the way you have coffee: the place, the coffee mug, everything that you did when you were smoking. Going out with friends. If drinking makes you want to smoke, see about going to a movie rather than going out for drinks.
Teen issues, such as fitting in with the crowd and dealing with stress	Fresher-smelling clothes and breath are just a few reasons for teens to quit smoking. They may actually improve their chances of fitting in. Also, feeling good physically may help teens deal with stress in healthier ways than by smoking. If you are worried about a teen who smokes, see: Substance Abuse: Dealing With Teen Substance Abuse.

Quitting smoking when you have other health problems

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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: July 06, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

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