How to Quit the Right Way
So, you probably noticed the heavy weight smoking has on your purse, health and your life in general. You found out that smoking is not the smart thing to do and want to stop. There are a few things you can do to hugely increase your chances at success.
- Set a quit date NOW. The date doesn’t have to be today but you have to decide on a date today.
- Get Help from a smoking quitline. These are free hotlines available in many countries world wide. The Global Quitline Network has the number of your national quitline. (This alone can increase your chances by 40% [1])
- Get social support: Tell your friends. Tell your family, your colleagues and everybody you care about. Tell them that you are quitting. Ask them to help you. Seek the company of non-smokers.
- Enlist the help of your healthcare provider. Your doctor can point you to medical products that are proven to help. Depending on the health system and your insurance you might not even have to pay for them…
- Minimize your exposure. Get rid of all tobacco products. Get rid of the ash trays. Don’t allow smoking in your home and don’t frequent places where smoking is the norm. It is best to reduce temptation where possible so that your willpower is still strong when you have to use it.
For more information on and help with quitting there is an excellent free guide for tobacco users to quit published by the world health organisation (WHO).
Once you Succeeded
Once you succeeded there are two important things to do: Bragging and helping your friends.
Why bragging? – you might ask. Well stopping to smoke is an achievement. It is something that many people only manage after multiple tries. It proves the strength of your willpower. Most importantly bragging about it creates an additional commitment and helps you to stick with your tobacco abstinence.
And your still nicotine addict friends depend on your help. Having been through the same process you are best suited to helping them quit. Of course they have to want to quit first, but if they have made the decision help them with your experience.
And finally: By quitting smoking you have proven that you are smart. So feel free to reward yourself by getting a campaign t-shirt!
If you Fail – Try Again
You just failed and started smoking again? Don’t despair quite yet. You are in good company. Many people have to try several times before they finally quit it for good. By trying to quit you gained valuable experience. Just set yourself a new quit date. Perhaps a week from now. Then you can use the time till then to prepare better than last time and ensure your success. You haven’t lost until you have given up on your chance to quit.
Return to campaign home.
Sources:
- A systematic review of interventions for smokers who contact quitlines, Lindsay F. Stead, Rafael Perera and Tim Lancaster, Tobacco Control, vol. 16(Suppl 1). pp. i3–i8, December 2007. link
and I don't smoke 