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How to Quit Smoking

If you have decided to stop smoking and you don’t know what to do, where to go, or who to ask for help, this information provides a guide that can help you quit smoking for good. There is no one right way to stop smoking, but there are smoke key elements that can help kick the habit successfully.

Making the Decision to Quit

Go through the self-assessment sections and the benefits of quitting.  Determine where you are and what you need to do next.  If you decide you are ready to stop, go to the next step.

Setting the Date and Deciding on a Plan

Once you’ve decided to stop smoking, it’s time to pick the “quit date”. Make sure that is within the next month. Choosing a date too far in the future will make it easier to rationalize a way out of it. However, there also needs to be enough time to become prepared. Once prepared, it is then time to come up with a solid plan. Here are some step to help you prepare for your “quit date”.

• Pick the date. Mark it clearly on the calendar.
• Tell friends and family of the “quit date” and ask for their support
• Get rid of all cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, etc. And stock up on sugarless gum, cinnamon sticks, carrot sticks, and hard candy.
• Decide on a plan. What option do you have for cessation?  Are there community, campus, or on-line resources that best match your personal needs. (Call the CSB/SJU Health Promotion Office at 2587 for information about what is available on campus)
• Consider nicotine replacement therapy. Medications have been proven to increase the success of quitting. Investigate your options and think about what will work best for you. If you are interested in using a medication, talk with your health care provider. You may need to start using it before you “quit date.” For more information about Nicotine Replacement Therapy, click here: http://www.csbsju.edu/counseling/smoking_med_nic_replace.htm
• Call a quit line or check out a web site designed to help you stay smoke- free, or contact your health care provider or the health promotion office (2587) for support and encouragement.
• Practice saying, "No thank you. I don't smoke."
• Enlist the help of your support system. Tell others of you plan and ask for their support. Ask a friend to quit smoking with you. You can also join Nicotine Anonymous or talk with a friend who has successfully quit and is willing to help.
• Identify your trigger, those things that tempt you to light up a cigarette. Think about the times or rituals during the day when you normally smoke, such as with a cup of coffee in the morning, between classes, while studying, or at a bar. Figure out what you will do instead of smoking, such as skipping the coffee, going for a walk, chomping on carrot sticks or lollipops, or even avoiding large social gatherings such as those at a bar. These temptations will become less and less strong the longer you are smoke-free.
• Speak with your health care provider if you are concerned about weight gain, depression, or other common side effects of nicotine withdrawal. Remember that exercise can decrease your chances of gaining weight while you quit smoking and can make quitting much easier, so start a workout routine before your “quit date” so that you can continue it throughout the quitting process.

The “quit date” has arrived, and even though you may be completely prepared, you are still stressed and need some guidance on what you should do. Here are some suggestions to help make your “quit date” much easier: 

• Do not smoke. Stop smoking the night before. When you wake up in the morning, you will have an eight-hour head start to being smoke-free.
• Keep active – try walking exercising, or doing other activities or hobbies.
• Drink lots of water and fruit juices.
• Start nicotine replacement therapy if you choose to do so.
• Continue following a self-help plan, using computer resources, talking with your health care provider, etc. Call your support system or a quit line when you are tempted to light up.
• Avoid high-risk situations where the urge to smoke is strong.
• Reduce or avoid alcohol and/or caffeine. Alcohol clouds judgment and can make it easier for you to slip up and smoke. Plus, alcohol and caffeine may be linked to smoking for some people. It is important to break this connection.

Use the 4 A’s 

1. Avoid. Certain people and places can tempt you to smoke. Stay away for now. Later on, you’ll be able to cope.
2. Alter. Switch to soft drinks or water instead of alcohol or coffee. Take a different rout to classes or work. Take a walk when you used to take a smoke break.
3. Alternatives. Use oral substitutes like sugarless gum, hard candy, or sunflower seeds.
4. Activities. Exercise or do hobbies that keep your hands busy (video games, needles work, woodworking, etc.) can help distract the urge to smoke.

To Deal with the Urges

Use the 5 D’s 

1. Delay a minute or two and the urge will pass.
2. Drink water to fight off cravings.
3. Do something else to distract yourself – walk, call a friend, clean a closet, etc.
4. Deep Breathe – it will relax you. Close your eyes and take ten slow deep breaths.
5. Discuss your thoughts and feelings with someone close to you.

 Getting Support 

Now that the quit process has begun, times are going to be tough and temptation will be running high. Support is readily available for people trying to quit smoking, and there are many resources that can be used to help make stopping more feasible and less stressful. 

• Family and Friends: Many former smokers say that the key to their support network was their family and friends in their community. Find people that you can confide in, those who want you to quit and will be there for you when the times are tough. If some of these people are smokers, make sure that they know that they cannot smoke around you.
• Your Health Care Provider: Talk to your health care provider about your plan to quit smoking. Make an appointment and bring a list of all of your questions. Do not be afraid of asking anything. Your health care provider wants to help you quit smoking.

Some questions you could ask may include:

Be prepared for your provider to ask you questions, as well. Make sure you are completely honest, and don’t be afraid because the process will help you in the long run. It may help you to fill out the Tobacco Use History in the self-assessment section, and bring it with you to your appointment. This might help your provider support you better.

• Quit Lines: Quit lines are telephone-based supports to help stop smoking.
• Web Sites: There are web sites designed to help people who are trying to quit. You may want to check www.Gottaquit.com or www.quitnet.com.
• Quit Programs: Stop-smoking programs are designed to help smokers recognize and cope with the common problems that arise during quitting and provide support and encouragement in the fight to stay smoke-free Studies show that the most effective quit programs include either individual or group counseling. There is a strong relationship between the intensity of the counseling and the success rate. In general, the more intense the program, the more likely it will be successful in helping people quit smoking for good. Intensity can be increased by having more or longer sessions or by increasing the number of weeks over which the sessions are given. Call the health promotion office at 2587 to find out what’s available on campus.