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Quit smoking: Proven strategies to help you quit
Being prepared can help you quit smoking and other tobacco use. Use these proven strategies to help you end your dependence on tobacco.
By Mayo Clinic staffQuitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. You understand that, which is why you're getting serious about quitting. But you also know that quitting smoking can be challenging and that it takes most smokers several tries before they succeed. These tried-and-true strategies can help you reach your goal to quit smoking. Try one or two, or try them all until you find what works to help you quit smoking.
Put it on paper
Consider what you don't like about smoking and why you want to quit smoking. Are you worried about health consequences, such as lung cancer and heart disease? Do you want to feel better? Set a good example for your kids? Rid yourself of that lingering smoke smell on your hair and clothes? Write it all down and carry the list with you. Each time you pick up a cigarette, or want to, read your list and remind yourself why you want to quit smoking.
Enlist support
Get others on your side. Tell your family, friends and co-workers that you want to quit smoking. You may even ask them to remind you why it's important to quit if they see you pick up a cigarette. Also, ask your friends or anyone in your household who smokes to quit, too. And consider joining a support group — either in person or online — for people who've quit smoking or want to.
See a specialist
Contact a tobacco treatment specialist through your doctor, a local treatment program or a telephone-based program. Toll-free tobacco quit lines are available in every state in the United States and many countries throughout the world. One big benefit of telephone quit lines is that you can participate from your own home — you don't need transportation. The more counseling you receive when you want to quit smoking, the more likely you'll remain tobacco-free. Ask your doctor or local hospital for information, or check your local phone book.
Take it slow
You might start the process of quitting by first cutting back, if necessary. Delay your first cigarette of the day. Smoke only half of each cigarette. Buy only one pack of cigarettes at a time. Trade one smoking break a day for a brisk walk or other physical activity. Build on each success until you've quit smoking entirely.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Guide to quitting smoking. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp. Accessed Jan. 7, 2009.
- Dunaway A. When a patient asks: How can I quit smoking? Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. 2008;21:53.
- Hughes JR, et al. Interest in treatments to stop smoking. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2009;36:18.
- Burke MV, et al. Treatment of tobacco dependence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2004;83:479.
- Clearing the air. National Cancer Institute. http://www.smokefree.gov/pubs/Clearing-The-Air_acc.pdf . Accessed Jan. 7, 2009.
- Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use08.pdf. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Hurt RD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 15, 2009.
